Wakefield Add To Leigh's Early-season Woes

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Wakefield (8) 18


Tries: Tevaga, Myers, Pratt Goals: Jowitt 3


Leigh (4) 14


Tries: O'Brien, Charnley, Alick-Wiencke Goal: Cook


Wakefield exacted a procedure of vengeance for their elimination by Leigh in last season's play-offs as the Leopards' poor start to the Super League campaign continued.


Leigh, who completed third last season, scored 2 late tries to provide a tight scoreline however a fourth defeat in five methods they stay second from bottom.


They have actually been struck hard by early-season injuries, with head coach Adrian Lam revealing before kick-off he is down to 18 fit gamers, but they were designers of their own downfall at the DIY Kitchens Stadium with their indiscipline.


A second-half sin-binning for Jack Hughes after they had yielded a stream of first-half penalties gave Trinity an upper hand.


Wakefield led 8-4 at the break. Loose forward Jazz Tevaga provided the lead with his very first shot for the club in the 11th minute, with some late footwork taking the excellent Samoan outside Isaac Liu close to the Leigh line to go over.


Leigh came close in the 19th minute but Tom Johnstone, making his 200th profession appearance, avoided stand-in centre Hughes grounding the ball over the line.


Wakefield's Jayden Myers had actually a shot disallowed for a foot in touch as he launched himself in at the right-hand corner after some fine defence from Innes Senior.


But after Caius Faatili spilled belongings in a tackle by Liam Horne from the kick-off, Leigh penalized Trinity with full-back Gareth O'Brien requiring his way over for the try to keep them in touch.


Myers extended Wakefield's lead within 2 minutes of the second half starting, as O'Brien stopped working to deal with Tyson Smoothy's chip through and provided the shot to the winger after Faatili's agricultural kick on the last deal with had actually caused confusion in the Leigh ranks.


Brilliant defence from Max Jowitt rejected very first Tesi Niu, as the full-back got his body under the centre as he crossed the line, and after that Senior in the corner.


Leigh likewise undertook from Frankie Halton eliminated for a knock-on by Horne on a hectic night for video referee Liam Moore.


But the loss of Hughes to the sin-bin, for a tackle off the ball simply after the hour, proved essential as Wakefield took advantage of the additional male with Ollie Pratt discussing in the 64th minute.


Josh Charnley pulled a shot back with 10 minutes left from Adam Cook's pass - his 258th in Super League - however even though Jacob Alick-Wiencke crossed with 30 seconds left, the visitors fell short of finishing a comeback win.


'Pretty average efficiency' - response


Wakefield Powell told BBC Radio Leeds:


"2 points is two points however I thought it was a lovely average efficiency. We were so negative at the start and got belted for area in the 2nd half when our discipline was quite poor.


"Leigh were fantastic, with the injuries they have actually got, and we didn't back up what we did last week - often that occurs when you've had a big win.


"We can play better than that, we have to play better than that, we have to enhance and find out some lessons from it.


"We had 33% territory in the second half and their line speed and intent was a bit better than ours throughout the 80 minutes."


Leigh head coach Adrian Lam informed BBC Radio Manchester:


"There were some things that truly harmed us. The penalty count I believe was 7-1 at half-time which was simply outrageous.


"It's very challenging to complete when it resembles that however we hung in there. I take pride in them for contending right to the very end.


"It was three attempts all at the end. If we kick our goals we tie the game but it wasn't to be.


"We exist or thereabouts however a long method away - that's how it feels at the moment.


"We only had 11 players train today. We're doing our best. We just need to find a win along the method so next week becomes really, actually important to us.


"It's hard work at the minute however there's no need to panic."


Wakefield: Jowitt; Myers, Scott, Pratt, Johnstone; Sinfield, Trueman; McMeeken, Smoothy, Rodwell, Nikotemo, Vagana, Tevaga.


Interchanges: Storton, Pitts, Hamlin-Eule, Faatili.


Leigh: O'Brien; Senior, Niu, Hughes, Charnley; Cook, Lam; Trout, McNamara, Mulhern, Halton, Alick-Wiencke, Liu.


Interchanges: Brogan, Brown, Davis, Horne.


Referee: Chris Kendall.


Leigh Leopards