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 removal 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 2 late shots to provide a tight scoreline however a 4th defeat in 5 ways they remain second from bottom.


They have actually been struck hard by early-season injuries, with head coach Adrian Lam revealing before kick-off he is down to 18 fit players, however they were designers of their own downfall at the DIY Kitchens with their indiscipline.


A second-half sin-binning for Jack Hughes after they had actually yielded a stream of first-half penalties offered Trinity an upper hand.


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


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


Wakefield's Jayden Myers had a try prohibited for a foot in touch as he launched himself in at the right-hand corner after some fine defence from Innes Senior.


But after Caius Faatili spilled ownership in a tackle by Liam Horne from the kick-off, Leigh punished Trinity with full-back Gareth O'Brien requiring his way over for the shot to keep them in touch.


Myers extended Wakefield's lead within two minutes of the second half starting, as O'Brien failed to handle Tyson Smoothy's chip through and provided the shot to the winger after Faatili's farming kick on the last deal with had 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 also had a shot 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 deal with off the ball simply after the hour, showed important as Wakefield made the many of the additional 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 fell short of completing a resurgence win.


'Pretty average efficiency' - reaction


Wakefield boss Daryl Powell informed BBC Radio Leeds:


"2 points is 2 points but I thought it was a beautiful average efficiency. We were so negative at the start and got belted for area in the second half when our discipline was pretty poor.


"Leigh were great, with the injuries they have actually got, and we didn't support what we did recently - sometimes 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 need 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 told BBC Radio Manchester:


"There were some things that really harmed us. The charge count I think was 7-1 at half-time which was simply outrageous.


"It's extremely tough to complete when it resembles that however we hung in there. I'm proud of them for contending right to the very end.


"It was 3 tries all at the end. If we kick our goals we tie the video 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 only had 11 players train today. We're doing our best. We just have to discover a win along the method so next week becomes truly, really essential to us.


"It's effort at the minute however there's no need 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