Neither Wakefield Trinity nor Leeds Rhinos could improve their league position as a result of a win this afternoon at Belle Vue but for the home side it would be a first win of the season and reduce the arrears to the Tigers, for the visitors it would keep alive their hopes of a play-off spot and bring Hull KR’s seventh spot into focus.
Leeds were big favourites for the win with the bookies having given Trinity sixteen points start on the coupon but with a big partisan crowd expected, along with plenty making the short journey down the A650 to cheer on a Rhinos side who can´t decide whether they are brilliant or rubbish, and who display both traits in near equal measure.
A nervous Leeds blew a couple of early chances, one from Mikolaj Oledzki and the other from Blake Austin, when they should really have punished the home side and been points to the good.
Wakefield scored the opening points on twelve minutes as they took the lead through Jack Croft, burrowing his way under the Leeds tacklers from a couple of metres out. Will Dagger attempted the touchline conversion and to roars from the home crowd the ball went between the uprights.
On eighteen, Nene MacDonald spilled the ball with a clear run to the try line in front of him. All he had to do was take the pass and drop over the line, Leeds in some disarray as they trailed.
It was 10-0 on twenty minutes when Romain Franco took the pass and scored on his debut appearance as he went over on the corner. Dagger was wide with his conversion, the Rhinos needing to find some composure, Trinity growing in confidence.
A punch up in back play was missed by the referee just after a water break, play continuing as the players sorted themselves out.
The Rhinos finally broke their duck when Richie Myler broke before finding Cameron Smith in support to beat his tackler and score under the posts for 4-10. Rhyse Martin added the conversion to cut the Wakefield lead to four points.
A Blake Austin forty twenty saw them advance downfield and on the second play, debutant Leon Ruan scooted from acting half back to score from ten metres to level the score, the Trinity defence unable to get anything of him. Martin hit the upright with what looked to be a simple conversion, the sides tied together at ten apiece at the interval.
Wakefield couldn´t have hoped for a better start while it was a nightmare opening thirty for the Rhinos. With the sides level at the interval, it was all to play for in the second forty.
Martin spilled the kick off on his own twenty and gifted possession to Trinity at the start of the second half but three plays in Morgan Smith lost the ball in the tackle and the pressure was over.
Hugo Salabio was carrying the ball into the tackle when he lifted Richie Myler from his feet and dumped him on his back, the Wakefield debutant red-carded for an illegal and deliberate lift. Wakefield’s task had just become a magnitude more difficult.
An Austin goal line dropout went into touch on the full allowing Wakefield to kick the penalty through the boot of Dagger, from ten metres out, to regain the lead.
Austin made amends on fifty-six as he broke through the Trinity line for a long range try to put the Rhinos into the lead for the first time in the game, grounding by the touchline. Martin was wide with the conversion attempt, the Rhinos two points to the good.
Harry Bowes went close with a scoot from acting half back on the hour but Trinity were awarded a penalty which was kicked by Dagger to again level the scores as the teams broke for a drinks break in the heat.
Leeds were reduced to twelve men on 61 when Ash Handley was sin-binned for an obstruction on Franco as he chased a kick down the touchline. Trinity took full advantage as they worked the ball against a re-organising Leeds defence, Ashurst carrying four tacklers over the line with him to ground. Dagger was unable to convert, Trin four ahead with fifteen minutes remaining.
Two minutes later and Wakefield were in again, this time Morgan Smith managed to force the ball to the ground after fielding a cross field kick and shrugging off his tackler to ground. Dagger converted in off the right-hand post, Wakefield with a ten-point lead.
Going into the last ten minutes, Wakefield looked on target for their first points of the season.
It was a fantastic afternoon for Wakefield Trinity as they registered their first league points of the season to narrow the gap to second bottom Castleford Tigers, and all the better that they did it against near neighbours Leeds Rhinos. Trinity held their composure, despite playing the majority of the second half with a man less than their opponents, and they never allowed the Rhinos to play their game or take time with the ball. The Rhinos were dreadful, on ethe back of an awful performance in Newcastle last week against Castleford. Leeds now increasingly unlikely to make the play-offs, a very poor season for them.
Wakefield Trinity: Jowitt, Kershaw, Croft (T), Kay, Franco (T), Dagger (4G), Smith (T), Proctor, Bowes, Battye, Hewitt, Ashurst (T), Pitts. Subs: Law, Eseh, Salabio (SO on 47), Fifita. 18th Man: Shaw.
Leeds Rhinos: Handley (SB on 61), MacDonald, Roberts, Martin (G), Tindall, Austin (T), Myler, Oledzki, O’Connor, Walters, McDonnell, Bentley, Smith (T). Subs: Johnson, Donaldson, Ruan (T), Sangare. 18th Man: Olpherts.
Half-Time: 10-10.
Full-Time: 24-14.
Score Progression: 4-0, 6-0, 10-0, 10-4, 10-6, 10-10 : HT: (SO), 12-10, 12-14, 14-14, (SB), 18-14, 22-14, 24-14 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: Wakefield – Square – Wakefield – Leeds – Square – Wakefield.
Referee: Aaron Moore.
