WHOLLY TRINITY ANSWER TO POCHING’S PRAYERS FOR SALVATION
■■HULL FC forwards Manu Ma’u and Joe Lovodua will miss the rest of the Super League season and are also World Cup doubts.
Back-rower Ma’u (broken arm) and hooker Lovodua (knee) face spells on the sidelines, with the World Cup kicking off on October 15.
Boss Brett Hodgson: “Our personnel are battered and bruised.”
WILLIE POCHING has called on his Wakefield players to carry on proving the doubters wrong by finishing the season on a high.
Trinity were in dire trouble last month when Toulouse overtook them, leaving them bottom.
Since then, Wakefield have demonstrated great togetherness to win three out of four, while Toulouse have lost four to all but confirm their relegation.
Poching, whose men beat Hull 26-18 on Friday, said: “There are a few people who did not give us a shout of getting two points let alone six.
“So the players are doing a lot to show what they are about. There is an enormity to this win.
“It doesn’t make us fully safe but we will enjoy this and try to finish our last home game against Hull KR on Thursday as strongly as we can.”
Toulouse coach Sylvain Houles accepted that his side are doomed after being hammered 52-6 at Wigan — before calling for promoted clubs to be given more time.
He said: “With France having the World Cup in 2025, and our long-term vision, we should have been given three years.
“That would make sure that we build the French game and the vision of getting a TV deal. It’s a real shame.” Third-bottom Warrington’s misery under boss Daryl Powell continued with a 24-18 defeat to Leeds on Friday.
Victory for Rohan Smith’s Rhinos lifted them to fifth and a play-off spot — less than two months after they were wallowing in 10th.