Castleford Tigers, who recorded a confident victory away at the Leeds Rhinos in their round six game, headed to Hull KR for a quarter final against a Robins side who had a close call against the Leigh Centurions before making progress themselves.

The sides currently reside in eighth and tenth places in the Super League table with the bookies slightly favouring the home side as they gave the Tigers a two-point start on the handicap coupon, but with the odds so close there really was little to choose between the sides coached by Tony Smith and Lee Radford.

In the last couple of matchups, the Tigers knocked the Robins out of the cup last season but the red and whites won the round three game in 2022 Super League.

Rovers took the lead on three minutes and their second set of six in the Tigers half when Elliot Minchella chased a Rowan Milnes grubber towards the sticks and collected just short of the line to dive over. Lachlan Coote added the conversion for a 6-0 lead.

When Paul McShane put his sixth tackle kick out on the full, the Robins used their tackles and moved the ball downfield with Minchella reaching for the line, but the try was disallowed by the video referee, overruling the on field official Rob Hicks.

Castleford were making errors on almost every set and having to put in a big defensive effort to stop their line being breached for a second time.

On eighteen Bureta Faraimo was unable to take a Jake Trueman pass when the line was begging and once again KR went down the other end with Minchella again taking a low Milnes kick for a carbon copy of his opener. KR added the penalty through Coote and were well in control with a 12-0 lead as the first quarter drew to a close.

Rovers knocked-on a grubber kick on their own ten metres after somehow managing to stop a terrific Tigers break. On their next set. a flying Greg Eden managed a one-handed grounding by the left corner flag. Gareth O´Brien pulled his touchline conversion wide of the left upright.

On thirty-four the Tigers were in for their second and again it was Eden who went in by the corner flag off a Jordan Turner pass, stepping out of the tackle to go twenty metres. This time O´Brien had his eye in and the visitors trailed by just two points, somewhat against the run of play.

After a rip-snorting start to the second half it was the home side who got their first points of the second half with Ryan Hall taking a long miss-out pass from Coote to cross in the corner. Coote was off target with the conversion attempt, the Robins six ahead.

A late tackle in sixty-three allowed KR to advance downfield and after Coote and Wood both went close a Jordan Abdull high kick to the posts was knocked back by Kane Linnett into the hands of Milnes to step over the line and ground under the sticks. Coote added the extras for 22-10, Hull KR on their way into the semi-finals.

It was all over for the Tigers on seventy as Sam Wood fended off his tackler, mad a half break and then rode through an attempted hand trip to dive over with a fifteen-metre run. Coote added the conversion for an eighteen-point lead to cap an excellent home performance.

Inside the last minute Abdull stepped out of a weak tackle on the half way line and sprinted to the line for the icing on the cake. Coote added the conversion for a commanding 34-10 win.

Tony Smith takes a side into the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup for the tenth time and a date at the double-header semi-final at Elland Road awaits. It is no more than they deserved after a great performance where they managed to keep the errors to a minimum. For the Tigers and Lee Radford, the season is now almost over and they will be able to double down and ensure that they can stay away from the relegation places as the Super League season progresses.

Hull KR:  Coote (5G), Keinhorst, Wood (T), Kenny-Dowall, Hall (T), Lewis, Milnes (T), Maher, Parcell, King, Halton Linnett, Minchella (2T). Subs:  Abdull (T), Storton, Litten, Richards.

Castleford Tigers: Evalds, Eden (2T), Turner, Mamo, Faraimo, Trueman, O´Brien (G), Massey, McShane, Smith, Edwards, Griffin, Westerman. Subs: Watts, Milner, Fonua, Matagi.

Half-Time: 12-10.

Full-Time: 34-10.

Score Progression: 4-0, 6-0, 10-0, 12-0, 12-4, 12-8, 12-10 : HT : 16-10, 20-10, 22-10, 26-10, 28-10, 32-10, 34-10: FT.

Referee: Rob Hicks.