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 project continued.


Leigh, who completed third last season, scored two late tries to provide a tight scoreline however a 4th defeat in five means they remain 2nd from bottom.


They have actually been hit hard by early-season injuries, with head coach Adrian Lam revealing before kick-off he is down to 18 fit gamers, however they were designers 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 penalties provided 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 impressive Samoan outside Isaac Liu near to the Leigh line to discuss.


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


Wakefield's Jayden Myers had a try 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 ownership in a deal with 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 two minutes of the second half starting, as O'Brien stopped working to deal with Tyson Smoothy's chip through and presented the try to the winger after Faatili's agricultural kick on the last tackle had actually 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 after that Senior in the corner.


Leigh also undertook from Frankie Halton dismissed 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 tackle off the ball simply after the hour, showed vital as Wakefield maximized the extra man with Ollie Pratt going over 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 disappointed finishing a comeback win.


'Pretty average efficiency' - response


Wakefield boss Daryl Powell told BBC Radio Leeds:


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


"Leigh were terrific, 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 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 little bit much better than ours throughout the 80 minutes."


Leigh head coach Adrian Lam informed BBC Radio Manchester:


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


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


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


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


"We only had 11 players train today. We're doing our finest. We simply have to discover a win along the way so next week becomes actually, truly important to us.


"It's effort 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