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' bad start to the Super League project continued.


Leigh, who completed third last season, scored 2 late tries to provide a tight scoreline but a 4th defeat in 5 methods they remain 2nd 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 gamers, 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 offered Trinity an upper hand.


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


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


Wakefield's Jayden Myers undertook disallowed for a foot in touch as he introduced himself in at the right-hand corner after some great defence from Innes Senior.


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


Myers extended Wakefield's lead within 2 minutes of the second half beginning, as O'Brien stopped working to handle Tyson Smoothy's chip through and presented the shot to the winger after Faatili's farming kick on the last take on had caused confusion in the Leigh ranks.


Brilliant defence from Max Jowitt denied very 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 ruled out 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, showed crucial as Wakefield made the many of the additional guy with Ollie Pratt discussing in the 64th minute.


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


'Pretty typical efficiency' - reaction


Wakefield boss Daryl Powell told BBC Radio Leeds:


"2 points is two points however I believed it was a lovely average efficiency. We were so negative at the start and got belted for area in the second half when our discipline was pretty bad.


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


"We can play better than that, we need to play better than that, we have to enhance and learn 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 told BBC Radio Manchester:


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


"It's very difficult to compete when it's like that however we hung in there. I'm proud of them for competing right to the very end.


"It was 3 tries all at the end. If we kick our objectives we tie the game but it wasn't to be.


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


"We just had 11 players train today. We're doing our finest. We just have to find a win along the method so next week ends up being truly, really important to us.


"It's effort at the moment but 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