Wakefield Contribute 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 vengeance for their elimination by Leigh in last season's play-offs as the Leopards' bad 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 five ways they stay 2nd from bottom.


They have been hit hard by early-season injuries, with head coach Adrian Lam exposing 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 yielded 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 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 appearance, prevented stand-in centre Hughes grounding the ball over the line.


Wakefield's Jayden Myers undertook disallowed for a foot in touch as he introduced himself in at the right-hand corner after some great defence from Innes Senior.


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


Myers extended Wakefield's lead within two minutes of the second half beginning, as O'Brien stopped working to handle Tyson Smoothy's chip through and provided the try to the winger after Faatili's agricultural kick on the last take on had triggered 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 then Senior in the corner.


Leigh also had a shot from Frankie Halton ruled out 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 deal with off the ball just after the hour, showed vital as Wakefield made the many of the additional man with Ollie Pratt going over 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 finishing a resurgence win.


'Pretty typical efficiency' - response


Wakefield employer Daryl Powell told BBC Radio Leeds:


"2 points is two points however I believed it was a pretty typical performance. We were so negative at the start and got belted for area in the second half when our discipline was quite poor.


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


"We can play much better than that, we need to play much better than that, we have to improve and learn 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 throughout the 80 minutes."


Leigh head coach Adrian Lam informed BBC Radio Manchester:


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


"It's very difficult to compete when it's like that however we hung in there. I'm happy of them for competing right to the very end.


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


"We're there or thereabouts but a long method away - that's how it feels at the moment.


"We only had 11 gamers train this week. We're doing our finest. We just have to discover a win along the method so next week ends up being actually, actually important to us.


"It's hard work 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