Super League: Justin Carney helps Castleford beat Catalan Dragons

Kirk Dixon, Jordan Tansey and Daryl Clark also touched down at the Mend-A-Hose Jungle for the Tigers, who have now won two from two at the start of the new campaign.

All the Dragons - who missed a last-gasp conversion attempt to be beaten at Hull in the opening round - managed in reply was a first-half score from Morgan Escare that the returning Scott Dureau converted.

Carney had the first and final word of the opening half as he helped ensure the Dragons wouldn't even be able to grab a point, just as they had done in the 17-17 draw in the corresponding fixture last February.

The winger broke the deadlock in the eighth minute after good work by Mark Sneyd, the on-loan Salford half-back gathering his own high kick before sending out a long pass to his team-mate.

Tansey - in at full-back for the injured Luke Dorn - was twice forced to collect hanging kicks under pressure as Catalan looked to use the blustery conditions to their advantage.

Castleford extended their lead in the 22nd minute as Weller Hauraki flicked the ball out to Dixon on the short side and the winger finished out wide.

Chalked off

Carney thought he had crossed for his second of the afternoon from a miss-out pass by Tansey just minutes later but the officials adjudged the ball had travelled forward and chalked it off.

The home fans were not happy at the decision, and their mood wasn't improved further as the Dragons went straight down the other end to haul themselves back into the contest.

Escare raced clear to finish from Leon Pryce's long pass, the score awarded to a chorus of jeers from the majority of the crowd at the Mend-a-Hose Jungle.

Tensions soon flowed over on the field too, both sides being reduced to 12 men after Eloi Pelissier and Scott Wheeldon had a scuffle.

Michael Shenton fed Carney to touch down on the stroke of half-time, then the scorer turned provider four minutes after the break when his offload helped create the opportunity for Tansey to cross.

Sneyd was handed the kicking duties after the break and he converted Tansey's try before kicking a straightforward penalty to give Castleford a 14-point advantage.

The game was put beyond the French club when Tigers hooker Clark scored the try of the match, collecting Dureau's kick on halfway and then evading the Catalan chasers to sprint clear.

Carney completed his treble a minute from time when he out-muscled Michael Oldfield to ground the ball in the corner, Sneyd adding the extras to round off an excellent afternoon for the Tigers.