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


a measure of vengeance for their removal 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 provide a tight scoreline however a fourth defeat in 5 ways they stay 2nd from bottom.


They have been struck hard by early-season injuries, with head coach Adrian Lam revealing before kick-off he is down to 18 fit gamers, however they were architects of their own downfall 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 a leg up.


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


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


Wakefield's Jayden Myers had a try 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 ownership in a take on by Liam Horne from the kick-off, Leigh punished Trinity with full-back Gareth O'Brien requiring his method over for the shot to keep them in touch.


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


Brilliant defence from Max Jowitt rejected 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 just after the hour, showed crucial as Wakefield maximized the additional male with Ollie Pratt reviewing in the 64th minute.


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


'Pretty typical performance' - response


Wakefield boss Daryl Powell told BBC Radio Leeds:


"2 points is two points but I believed it was a pretty typical performance. We were so negative at the start and got belted for territory in the 2nd half when our discipline was quite poor.


"Leigh were excellent, with the injuries they've got, and we didn't support what we did last week - often that takes place when you have actually had a big win.


"We can play much 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 2nd half and their line speed and intent was a bit much better than ours across the 80 minutes."


Leigh head coach Adrian Lam told BBC Radio Manchester:


"There were some things that really hurt us. The charge count I believe was 7-1 at half-time which was just outrageous.


"It's extremely hard to contend when it resembles that but we hung in there. I'm happy of them for contending right to the very end.


"It was three tries all at the end. If we kick our objectives we connect the game however 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 gamers train today. We're doing our best. We just have to discover a win along the way so next week becomes actually, truly important 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