WAKEFIELD TRINITY inflicted Featherstone Rovers’ first defeat of pre-season in an entertaining game of two halves.
Rovers led 12-0 at half-time but failed to score a point in the second forty minutes with Trinity showing their Super League class to get over the line.
Featherstone crossed in the 13th minute with Kyle Evans, who had a spell at Wakefield in 2022, dotting down a perfect Riley Dean kick. Chris Hankinson converted for a 6-0 lead.
Matters were made worse for Wakefield just after the midway point in the first-half when Elijah Taylor pounced on a Lee Gaskell error from a Thomas Lacans kick. Hankinson’s conversion made it 12-0.
Despite excelling, Rovers couldn’t breach the Trinity line again before the break, but they had been totally dominant.
Wakefield came out for the second-half hungry and they finally had some points on 53 minutes when Eddie Battye crossed from a brilliant Mason Lino break. Lino converted to make it 12-6.
Trinity levelled proceedings on the hour with Renouf Atoni crashing over in trademark style. Max Jowitt took over the kicking duties with Lino off the field for a HIA.
Corey Hall sent Wakefield into the lead for the first time with six minutes of the game to go after great work by Reece Lyne. Lino converted for an 18-12 lead.
Max Jowitt grabbed a deserved try a minute before the end as Wakefield ran out 24-12 winners.
Wakefield Trinity
1 Max Jowitt
5 Tom Lineham
4 Reece Lyne
3 Corey Hall
23 Lewis Murphy
6 Lee Gaskell
7 Mason Lino
19 Kevin Proctor
9 Liam Hood
17 Renouf Atoni
11 Matty Ashurst
13 Jay Pitts
8 Eddie Battye
Substitutes
15 Liam Kay
21 Samisoni Langi
22 Rob Butler
25 Sam Eseh
26 Dane Windrow
29 Joe Law
Tries: Battye, Atoni, Hall, Jowitt
Goals: Lino 3/3, Jowitt 1/1
Featherstone Rovers
23 Caleb Aekins
2 Luke Briscoe
3 Chris Hankinson
18 Josh Hardcastle
28 Kyle Evans
25 Thomas Lacans
7 Riley Dean
17 Gadwin Springer
14 Matty Wildie
10 James Lockwood
11 Brad Day
13 Jack Bussey
12 Elijah Taylor
Substitutes
1 Brandon Pickersgill
4 Craig Hall
5 Gareth Gale
16 Junior Moors
19 Luke Cooper
24 Mathieu Cozza
McKenzie Yei
Jake Roberts
Tries: Evans, Taylor
Goals: Hankinson 2/2
