Wakefield have got lessons to learn says Chester
Saints show their class to repel battling Trinity
THE SIGHT of Wakefield Trinity’s 1998 promotion-winning squad doing a lap of honour last night is a timely reminder of just where this club has come from.
Twenty years ago, few people ever thought they would be able to really cope in Super League.
Yet they did and, now with coowners Michael Cater and Chris Brereton’s astute leadership and head coach Chris Chester putting his mark on the football side, Trinity also no longer look like a side threatened by relegation.
However, as last night demonstrated, they still have some work to do if they are ever going to reach that next step where they can challenge sides like runaway Super League leaders St Helens at the business end of the season.
Granted, Wakefield – 16-0 down at the break after conceding three tries in eight minutes – had Saints rattled going into the final stages and worrying about losing a third successive game for the first time under Justin Holbrook.
Indeed, when the rampant centre Bill Tupou crossed to make it 22-16 in the 69th minute you sensed it would be another famous night for those heroes of ’98 – Francis Stephenson, Gary Lord, Sonny Whakarau and Andy Kelly were just some of the familiar faces on show – to celebrate.
However, Saints, on the back of that shock Challenge Cup semifinal defeat to Catalans Dragons and a home loss to Huddersfield Giants, used all their nous to just edge themselves home.
Luke Douglas and Regan Grace got late tries to settle nerves, adding to England winger Tommy Makinson’s fine first-half brace and Wakefield were left to rue not making more of early pressure.
Hulking prop David Fifita made a couple of hefty carries to punch holes and they had plenty of ball at the right end of the field especially with the visitors being initially a little lax in possession.
However, too often there was no end product. The nearest Chester’s side got was when Tyler Randell burrowed close to the line only to be denied and, in fairness, Saints did defend well to keep their rivals pointless.
Reece Lyne was snared running on the last tackle as Wakefield ran out of options and then stand-off Ryan Hampshire spilled with no one near him to waste another promising opportunity.
Even when Chester looked to make changes, things went awry.
Indeed, Tinirau Arona coughed up his first pass after coming on with no one in sight and then the first thing Kyle Wood did – normally such a positive influence when coming on at dummy-half – was to find Tom Johnstone with a pass that would result in only one thing; the heavily-marked winger being bundled into touch.
When prop Craig Huby – not a regular kicker since his early days at Castleford – found himself having to dink a grubber in, the ball rolled dead, gifting Saints a seventackle set.
They didn’t need them all; just a few tackles later, finally able to gain some momentum around the ruck, they had marched downfield ready for Makinson to score his first and begin that flurry of game-changing points.
Ben Barba came up with the killer play. The full-back’s fine cut-out pass gave Makinson just enough space for him to finish in the corner in the 26th minute.
Five minutes later, ruthless Saints added those quickfire back-to-back tries to leave Trinity in a hole, Jonny Lomax accelerating into space before dummying past Max Jowitt.
Better was to come in the next set when Makinson stooped in front of Jowitt take Danny Richardson’s high kick on the run – a remarkable piece of skill – and then scramble across the line for his spectacular second.
Saints did still gift Wakefield chances, like when Richardson missed touch with a penalty, but then Matty Ashurst offloaded when the pass was never on and so they went in to the break scoreless.
Kyle Wood did get them up and running after Jacob Miller’s fine pass sent Tupou charging into space.
They almost scored again in the next set when Jowitt broke from deep after a bizarre mix-up at the restart only for Makinson to brilliantly get back and deny Tupou at the last.
Still, even when Chester’s side were reduced to 12 men – and perhaps harshly following Huby’s high tackle on Kyle Amor – they refused to yield.
Instead, giant second-row Pauli Pauli barged over for his fifth try in four games.
But, frustratingly, he then lost the ball near his own line in the next set and Theo Fages capitalised – with Huby just about to come back into the fray.
Trinity stay sixth while revived Saints now need only one more point from their final five Super 8s games to confirm the League Leaders’ Shield. DISAPPOINTED WAKEFIELD Trinity head coach Chris Chester says his side will learn from last night’s 36-16 loss against St Helens.
The West Yorkshire club threatened to pull off an unlikely comeback, trailing just 22-16 with 11 minutes to go having been 16-0 down at the break.
However, Saints showed their killer touch at the death to deny Trinity what would have been a second win over the runaways Super League leaders this term.
“I’m really disappointed with those last two tries; they didn’t have to work at all to get them,” said Chester. “It’s been a frustrating night. “We build our game around high completions and making sure we kick the ball well.
“But after starting well in the first half we finished with six incomplete sets out of the last eight and kicked dead as well.
“That’s just asking for trouble against a side as good as Saints and we went 16-0 down in no time.
“We showed some effort and determination to get back into it but we have a lot to learn and we’ll be better for tonight.”
Chester did praise Bill Tupou, the in-form Aucklander centre who caused Saints all sorts of issues.
“There’s no better centre in the comp’ for me,” he said.
“You just have to look at his stats, the metres he’s made and when we’re in trouble we give the ball to Bill.
“He’s a very, very hard man to bring down. I’m certainly glad he’s in my team and deserves all the accolades he gets.”
Saints chief Justin Holbrook saw his side arrest their minislump after two successive losses.
And he was impressed by giant second-row Pauli Pauli whose try when Trinity were down to 12 men got the hosts back to 16-12.
“It was a barge over try but it’s almost illegal that,” said the Australian.
“He had half our team on him and still got the ball down!
“He could be next convert to NFL; get him out of our game – he’s too big!
“We knew how hard it’d be to come here and get a win so it was very pleasing to eventually get it.
“It was nip and tuck and a really good start to the game for both sides. There was not much in it so to come in leading 16-0 was fantastic.
“That was important to start well as the last couple of weeks we haven’t done that and made it hard for ourselves.
“We were concentrated, though, and ready to play and we managed that.”