WAKEFIELD TRINITY 48 HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS 2
JOHN DAVIDSON, DIY Kitchens Stadium, Saturday

WAKEFIELD took a step towards the Super League play-offs and leapfrogged Hull FC into sixth with a brutal battering of Huddersfield.

Dominant Trinity ran in three tries in the first half and five in the second to move up a place on the table and a point above the Black and Whites, who lost to Leeds shortly before this game.

With just three games left in the regular season it was a vital victory for Daryl Powell’s charges.

With the rain smashing down the damage was done early through Matty Russell and Caius Faatili, before Trinity let loose in the second and crossed four times in a 12-minute spell to blow the Giants out of the water.

It took Wakefield just eight minutes on the sodden turf to take the lead, spreading the ball to the left where Russell strolled in untouched out wide.

Mason Lino added the extras from the sideline to give them an early 6-0 lead and six minutes later he extended that by two points with a penalty-goal from nearly straight in front.

The home side were in complete control and Faatili added to the momentum on 19 minutes after a brilliant run where he fended off several tackles to score a great try.

On 23 minutes Taane Milne levelled Josh Rourke with a high shot to the face and was marched from the field for 10 minutes.

Trinity continued to press for an advantage, with Jake Trueman held up over the line when another try looked certain.

It mattered not though as two minutes later Harvey Smith danced past some weak defence and barged over.

Lino made no mistake with the conversion and at 18-0 the Giants looked dead and buried.

Right on half-time Huddersfield were handed a penalty and George Flanagan nailed it, finally putting the visitors on the board.

At 18-2 behind though and with Wakefield in fine touch, it was a big ask for the Giants in the second half.

And it got worse just three minutes after the interval when Seth Nikotemo brushed off a tackle to cross.

Lino added the extras but the scoring was far from done.

In the next set after the restart Trinity scored an outstanding try, a great offload putting Mike McMeeken into space and he found Jake Trueman in support to touchdown.

Lino’s conversion made it 30-2 and it was virtually game over with 30 minutes left.

The home team should have had a sixth try but Cameron Scott’s pass to Russell was knocked into touch.

It only prolonged the inevitable, as in the next tackle Renouf Atoni steamrolled his way through.

Lino’s kick made it 36-2 and the rout was on.

Wakefield’s next try came after Trueman regathered his own kick, sped through a gap and put Josh Rourke over.

There was still time for Russell to bring up his double and for Zac Woolford and Lino to be sin-binned late, for a lifting tackle and a shoulder charge respectively.

GAMESTAR: Jake Trueman had Huddersfield on a string, setting up and scoring tries at will.

GAMEBREAKER: Seth Nikotemo’s barnstorming effort just after the internal sealed the win.

HIGHLIGHT REEL: Caius Faatili’s awesome try, when he did an unstoppable Ali Lauiti’iti impersonation, was outstanding.

ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Jake Trueman (Wakefield)
2 pts Mike McMeeken (Wakefield)
1 pt Caius Faatili (Wakefield)

MATCHFACTS
TRINITY
23 Josh Rourke
24 Matty Russell
3 Cameron Scott
19 Oliver Pratt
5 Tom Johnstone
6 Jake Trueman
20 Mason Lino
8 Mike McMeeken
9 Liam Hood
31 Caius Faatili
17 Matty Storton
11 Seth Nikotemo
13 Jay Pitts
Subs (all used)
16 Renouf Atoni
18 Isaiah Vagana
21 Matthieu Cozza
28 Harvey Smith
18th man (not used)
1 Max Jowitt
Also in 21-man squad
12 Josh Griffin
30 Jayden Myers
33 Noah High

Tries: M Russell (8, 70), Faatili (19), Smith (37), Nikotemo (43), Trueman (46), Atoni (53), Rourke (57)
Goals: Lino 8/9
Sin bin: Lino (77) – shoulder charge

GIANTS
29 George Flanagan
3 Jake Bibby
1 Jacob Gagai
23 Taane Milne
5 Sam Halsall
27 Kieran Rush
37 Marshall Land (D)
18 Fenton Rogers
9 Zac Woolford
22 Tristan Powell
13 Harry Rushton
17 Joe Greenwood
21 Leroy Cudjoe
Subs (all used)
14 Ashton Golding
15 Matty English
10 Tom Burgess
8 Oliver Wilson
18th man (not used)
24 Aidan McGowan
Also in 21-man squad
16 George King
– Archie Sykes
– Logan Blacker

Goals: Flanagan 1/1
Sin bin: Milne (23) – high tackle, Woolford (75) – lift over the horizontal

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 8-0, 12-0, 18-0, 18-2; 24-2, 30-2, 36-2, 42-2, 48-2

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Man of the Match
Trinity: Jake Trueman; Giants: Jacob Gagai

Penalty count: 6-3
Half-time: 18-2
Referee: Jack Smith
Attendance: 7,112