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 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 shots to deliver a tight scoreline however a 4th defeat in 5 ways 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 players, however 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 yielded a stream of first-half charges gave Trinity a leg up.


Wakefield led 8-4 at the break. Loose forward Jazz Tevaga provided the lead with his first shot for the club in the 11th minute, with some late footwork taking the outstanding 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 actually a shot prohibited for a foot in touch as he introduced 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 shot to keep them in touch.


Myers stretched Wakefield's lead within 2 minutes of the 2nd half beginning, as O'Brien failed to handle Tyson chip through and provided the shot to the winger after Faatili's farming kick on the last deal with had actually caused 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 also undertook from Frankie Halton eliminated for a knock-on by Horne on a busy night for video referee Liam Moore.


But the loss of Hughes to the sin-bin, for a take on off the ball just after the hour, showed vital as Wakefield made the most of the additional man with Ollie Pratt reviewing 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 despite the fact that Jacob Alick-Wiencke crossed with 30 seconds left, the visitors fell short of completing a return win.


'Pretty typical efficiency' - reaction


Wakefield employer Daryl Powell told BBC Radio Leeds:


"2 points is 2 points but I thought it was a beautiful typical efficiency. We were so unfavorable at the start and got belted for territory in the second half when our discipline was pretty bad.


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


"We can play much better than that, we have to play better than that, we need to enhance and discover 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 informed BBC Radio Manchester:


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


"It's extremely hard to complete when it's like that but we hung in there. I'm proud of them for completing right to the very end.


"It was 3 attempts all at the end. If we kick our objectives we connect 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 best. We just have to discover a win along the way so next week ends up being actually, really important to us.


"It's hard work at the minute 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