SOME signs of improvement from Warrington Wolves were still nowhere near enough to stop the current juggernaut that is Castleford Tigers' push for the League Leaders' Shield.

The Wire's defence, that has now leaked 158 points in four matches, was pulled all over the place by the best attacking team in the competition and Super League's top scorer Greg Eden cashed in with five tries.

Half backs Luke Gale and Ben Roberts, along with footballing forwards Grant Millington, Jesse Sene-Lefao and Junior Moors, until he was carried off, were a constant menace to Wolves for a table-topping Cas side close to full strength.

It was a fourth consecutive heavy loss for Tony Smith's team, but it should be considered in context.

With 12 players unavailable, a makeshift backline included 18-year-old debutant Will Dagger at full back, Kevin Penny and Matty Blythe making only their second starts of the year, Stefan Ratchford featuring at centre for only the second time this term and loose forward Joe Westerman providing emergency cover at scrum half.

Losing Blythe to a hyper-extended leg injury in the fifth minute forced Benjamin Jullien into the centres just after Cas took the lead off a kick from their first attacking set.

When skipper Chris Hill went to the sin bin moments later for an out-of-character late shoulder charge on Gale, a Wolves team low on confidence in recent times looked ripe for the picking.

For those 10 minutes that proved to be the case, as Cas ripped the defence apart for tries from Eden, Greg Minikin and Mike McMeeken to extend the hosts' advantage to 20-0.

In truth, it was game over.

For the remaining 57 minutes, which included a sin-binning for Tom Lineham midway through the second half, the scoring was 16-16.

During that period Wolves scored three tries, including one while down to 12 men, which is their best tally since the 24-24 draw with Wigan in Newcastle last month.

Perhaps more importantly, they mainly contained and frustrated a free-scoring Cas team into handling and kicking errors to enjoy a fairer share of the possession and territory.

There is a long way to go in terms of the improvements that are needed, but Wolves can take some aspects of their play against Cas as a foundation for the desperate battles ahead in fighting for their Super League status.

INTERESTING NOTES:

Wolves are without a win in past five matches.

A win in Yorkshire this year remains elusive for The Wire.

Eden became the third player to score five tries against Warrington, matching the feats of Martin Offiah for Widnes in 1989 and for Wigan in 1993, along with Ike Southward for Workington in 1959 - all away from home. No player has scored more than five against The Wire.

Cooper's 150th game for The Wire.

Lineham's 100th career try, featuring 15 for York, 54 for Hull FC, two for Rochdale and 29 for Warrington.

MATCH FACTS:

Super League Round 18, Sunday, June 11, 2017.

Castleford Tigers 36 Warrington Wolves 16.

Tigers: Zak Hardaker; Greg Minikin, Joel Monaghan, Michael Shenton, Greg Eden; Ben Roberts, Luke Gale; Andy Lynch, Paul McShane, Grant Millington, Jesse Sene-Lefao, Mike McMeeken, Nathan Massey. Subs: Adam Milner, Junior Moors, Tom Holmes, Alex Foster.

Wolves: Will Dagger; Kevin Penny, Stef Ratchford, Matty Blythe, Tom Lineham; Dec Patton, Joe Westerman; Chris Hill, Daryl Clark, Ashton Sims, Benjamin Jullien, Jack Hughes, Mike Cooper. Subs: Brad Dwyer, George King, Andre Savelio, Joe Philbin.

Scoring: Eden try, 2mins, 4-0; Eden try, 14mins, Gale goal, 10-0; Minikin try, 17mins, 14-0; McMeeken try, 21mins, Gale goal, 20-0; Lineham try, 31mins, Patton goal; Eden try, 39mins, Gale goal, 26-6; Eden try, 44mins, Gale goal, 32-6; Eden try, 57mins, 36-6; Westerman try, 59mins, Patton goal, 36-12; Hughes try, 79mins, 36-16.

Penalties: Tigers 7 Wolves 8.

Sin bin: Hill (shoulder charge) 9mins; Lineham (holding down) 73mins.

Referee: James Child.

Attendance: 8,577.

Guardian man of the match: Westerman.