Despite being three placed below them in the league table, Wakefield
Trinity came into their round twenty game against the Leeds Rhinos as slight
bookies favourites, handicapped by two points on the coupon.
A win for Wakefield would lift them back into the top six
ahead of Hull FC who play on Saturday afternoon with a home banker against the Huddersfield
Giants, while a win for the Rhinos would put them up to third spot above the
Leopards and level with Wigan on league points.
Belle Vue was sold out for the game of the round, the west
Yorkshire derby which promised to be a belter.
The opening ten minutes were as tight as the bookies
suggested. On ten Brodie Croft stretched out a leg and tripped Mason Lino, the
Rhinos man getting a yellow card for his action and Max Jowitt kicked the resulting
penalty for a 2-0 lead.
On thirteen the home side got the first four pointer,
Lachlan Walmsley taking a Jowitt pass and going over the top of two Leeds
defenders to reach and ground. Jowitt was unable to add the conversion from the
right touchline.
Leeds were awarded a penalty on eighteen when Wakefield were
caught offside, Jake Connor took his time to wind down the clock on Croft’s
return. The Rhinos half back eventually kicked the goal to get Leeds first points
as Croft returned to the fray.
A high tackle from Connor on Harvey Smith gifted Jowitt a simple
penalty to put Wakefield back into a six-point lead on twenty-seven.
On thirty-seven the Rhinos ‘supersub’ Sam Lisone battered
his way over the line a couple of minutes after coming on from the bench, the
big forward scoring by the right post to give Connor a simple conversion to
level the scores going into the interval.
Jake Connor picked up friendly fire damage from Bentley on forty-eight
and was helped from the field with blood pouring from an eye injury.
The first scoring opportunity of the second half came on
sixty-three after a high tackle from Harry Newman close to the left touchline. Jowitt
pointed at the sticks but was wide with his kick.
The Rhinos, against the run of play, took the lead on sixty
when Jarrod O’Connor scooted from dummy half and took three Wakefield defenders
over the line with him to force the ball onto the ground. Sinfield took over
the kicking duties while Connor having failed his HIA, the Rhinos sub adding
the extras with ten minutes remaining.
Within two minutes Wakefield struck back, Mason Lino pitting
in the pass to Matty Storton for him to go through a gap and slide over from
ten metres out. Jowitt added the conversion and the sides were back level.
Brodie Croft attempted a forty-metre drop goal on
seventy-nine but the ball went just wide of the uprights. Seconds from the
final hooter Lino dropped into the pocket and with no time to think he kicked a
forty-metre drop goal to seal the win.
Wakefield snatched the win at the death and were probably
worth the points for a superior eighty minute performance but the loss will
hurt the Rhinos and could see them finish the round in fifth. Wakefield are
back in the top six at the expense of Hull FC and it would be a brave person who
bets against them making the play-offs.
Wakefield Trinity: Jowitt (G 3/5), Walmsley (T), Hall,
Pratt, Myers, Trueman, Lino (DG), McMeeken, Smith, Faatii, Griffin, Scott,
Pitts. Subs: Nikotemo, Atoni, Storton (T), Rourke. 18th Man: Russell.
Leeds Rhinos: Miller, Hall, Newman, Handley, Edgell, Croft
(SB on 10), Connor (G 2/2), Palasia, O’Connor (T), Jenkins, Bentley, McDonnell,
Watkins. Subs: Sinfield (G 1/1), Lisone (T), Littlewood, Cassell. 18th
Man: Lumb.
Half-Time: 8-8.
Full-Time: 15-14.
Score Progression: (SB), 2-0, 6-0, 6-2, 8-2, 8-6, 8-8 : HT: 8-12,
8-14, 12-14, 14-14, 15-14 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: Wakefield – Square – Leeds – Square –
Wakefield.
Referee: Chris Kendall.
