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 revenge for their elimination 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 2 late tries to provide a tight scoreline but a fourth defeat in five means they stay 2nd from bottom.


They have actually been struck hard by early-season injuries, with head coach Adrian Lam exposing before kick-off he is down to 18 fit gamers, 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 actually yielded a stream of first-half penalties provided Trinity a leg up.


Wakefield led 8-4 at the break. Loose forward Jazz Tevaga provided them the lead with his very first shot for the club in the 11th minute, with some late footwork taking the excellent Samoan outside Isaac Liu close to the Leigh line to discuss.


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


Wakefield's Jayden Myers had 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 take on by Liam Horne from the kick-off, Leigh punished Trinity with full-back Gareth forcing his way over for the try to keep them in touch.


Myers stretched Wakefield's lead within two minutes of the 2nd half beginning, as O'Brien failed 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 triggered confusion in the Leigh ranks.


Brilliant defence from Max Jowitt rejected 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 dismissed 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 deal with off the ball simply after the hour, showed essential as Wakefield maximized the additional male 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 - but although Jacob Alick-Wiencke crossed with 30 seconds left, the visitors disappointed finishing a return win.


'Pretty typical performance' - response


Wakefield boss Daryl Powell told BBC Radio Leeds:


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


"Leigh were fantastic, with the injuries they've got, and we didn't support what we did recently - often that happens when you have actually had a big win.


"We can play better than that, we have to play better than that, we need to improve and find out some lessons from it.


"We had 33% territory in the 2nd 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 really harmed us. The charge count I believe was 7-1 at half-time which was just outrageous.


"It's extremely challenging to contend when it resembles that but we hung in there. I'm happy of them for competing 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're there or thereabouts but a long way away - that's how it feels at the moment.


"We just had 11 players train today. We're doing our finest. We simply need to discover a win along the way so next week becomes truly, really essential to us.


"It's difficult work at the minute 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