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 step of revenge for their elimination by Leigh in last season's play-offs as the Leopards' poor start to the Super League campaign continued.


Leigh, who ended up third last season, scored two late tries to deliver a tight scoreline however a 4th defeat in 5 ways they stay second from bottom.


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


A second-half sin-binning for Jack Hughes after they had conceded a stream of first-half charges provided Trinity a leg up.


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


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 undertook prohibited for a foot in touch as he released himself in at the right-hand corner after some fine defence from Innes Senior.


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


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


Brilliant defence from Max Jowitt denied first Tesi Niu, as the full-back got his body under the centre as he crossed the line, and then 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 important as Wakefield maximized the extra man 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 although Jacob Alick-Wiencke crossed with 30 seconds left, the visitors fell short of finishing a return win.


'Pretty typical performance' - response


Wakefield manager Daryl Powell told BBC Radio Leeds:


"2 points is 2 points but I thought it was a beautiful average performance. We were so unfavorable at the start and got belted for territory in the 2nd half when our discipline was quite poor.


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


"We can play much better than that, we need to play much better than that, we have to enhance and discover some lessons from it.


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


Leigh head coach Adrian Lam told BBC Radio Manchester:


"There were some things that truly hurt us. The charge count I think was 7-1 at half-time which was simply outrageous.


"It's really hard to complete when it's like that however we hung in there. I take pride in them for completing right to the very end.


"It was three tries all at the end. If we kick our objectives we connect the video game however it wasn't to be.


"We're there or thereabouts but a long way away - that's how it feels at the minute.


"We just had 11 gamers train today. We're doing our best. We just need to discover a win along the way so next week becomes truly, really crucial to us.


"It's difficult work at the moment however there's no requirement 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