HULL FC 10 WAKEFIELD TRINITY 36
ASH HOPE, MKM Stadium, Friday

ON a day when the late, great John Kear was laid to rest, two of his former employers embodied his passionate spirit.

Wakefield ran out eventual winners following a first-half burst but were left to channel memories of their 2006 ‘Great Escape’ to quash Hull FC’s second-half fightback.

Despite numerous injuries, the home side proved defiant – just as they had done in a Kear-guided 2005 Challenge Cup victory – as both sides channelled his infectious energy in a hard-fought on-field encounter.

Tom Briscoe’s early sprint might well have provided a platform to open the scoring, leaving a penalised Wakefield on the back foot. Jed Carwright coughed up possession, having been ball-stripped by Isaiah Vagana, with the visitors springing into life.

Ky Rodwell’s strong carry then gave Jake Trueman fruitful field position. Tom Johnstone’s acrobatic catch proved to be a matching final touch, for Trueman’s immaculate chip in-goal and Max Jowitt’s touchline conversion.

An injury-hit home side would drill back intently, with an indignant response eventually seeing Jeremiah Mata’utia held up.

Hull’s luck and patience would further disintegrate when Cartwright’s gesticulation of an elbow was an unsuccessful claim, as was the resulting Captain’s Challenge.

An undeterred Trinity had clearly travelled with an attacking drive, as they wasted little time to double down on Hull. So too did Trueman and Johnstone, as the England pair combined in near-symmetrical fashion to score their second, with Jowitt landing another distanced conversion.

A spell of error-trades would halt the active start, then Herman Ese’ese was involved in a rather unmatched off-ball bust. The bruising prop would be gestured to the sin bin, while further gestures from the stands met Johnstone not following suit.

Further probing of depleted Hull saw Seth Nikotemo power over, despite a questioned grounding which he left nail-bitingly late.

Having held on with mere seconds of Ese’ese’s binning remaining, Trinity snatched a fourth when another Trueman loop was taken well by Ky Rodwell. He then teed in Mike McMeeken, for another pair of Jowitt-complimented scores and a 24-0 half-time lead.

Second-half fortunes swiftly switched, as Johnstone’s ball-spill gifted Sezer space from the scrum. He then found Briscoe’s grasp, who surged over, but was unable to convert.

The intensity ramped up a notch, as Tyson Smoothy was held up in a purposeful Trinity attack, while Hull were able to capitalise after Rodwell’s ball-steal on Kirby was penalised.

Briscoe’s surging run incised the visitors’ defence, while supporting-party Davy Litten coasted over on his injury-return to bring Hull back to within contention. Sezer, on his second tee-trip, landed the extras.

A noticeable pressure increase, from both sides, culminated in a feisty ten-minute spell, which ended in another home sin bin after Mata’utia’s reckless charge on Rodwell.

Within seconds, Hugo Salabio produced a blinding challenge on a try-bound Rodwell, after Trueman’s darting break.

Harvey Smith twice came close with biting bolts, before Jazz Tevaga collected his pass to dot down emphatically.

With more aching symmetry for the quickly disbanding home support, just as Mata’utia was ready his return, Nikotemo would make the extra man count to finalise Trinity’s spirited performance.

Those fifth and sixth efforts were kicked by Jowitt to maintain his night’s seamless record.

Though the night belonged to Trinity, a rather fitting occasion beforehand offered larger perspective. Had Kear have been the coach of either side tonight, there would have typically been positives to take.

GAMESTAR: Isaiah Vagana exploded into the game and stayed explosive throughout.

GAMEBREAKER: It’s hard to break up the impact of Herman Ese’ese and Jeremiah Mata’utia’s sin bins, in near-identical fashion.

HIGHLIGHT REEL: It’s hard to break up the excellence of Jake Trueman’s chip-assist and Tom Johnstone’s finishing acrobatics for the first two tries, in near-identical fashion.

ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Isaiah Vagana (Wakefield)
2 pts Jake Trueman (Wakefield)
1 pt Tom Briscoe (Hull FC)

MATCHFACTS

HULL FC
24 Logan Moy
2 Harvey Barron
39 Ethan O’Neill
3 Davy Litten
19 Tom Briscoe
6 Jake Arthur
7 Aidan Sezer
38 Jeremiah Mata’utia
9 Amir Bourouh
10 Harvie Hill
11 Joe Batchelor
12 Jed Cartwright
30 Will Kirby
Subs (all used)
8 Herman Ese’ese
26 Hugo Salabio
29 Will Hutchinson
40 Max Wood
18th man (not used)
32 Lloyd Kemp
Also in 21-man squad
5 Lewis Martin
25 Matty Laidlaw
27 Callum Kemp

Tries: Briscoe (49), Litten (59)
Goals: Sezer 1/2
Sin bin: Ese’ese (27) – high tackle, Mata’utia (68) – high tackle

TRINITY
1 Max Jowitt
23 Josh Rourke
3 Cameron Scott
14 Jay Pitts
5 Tom Johnstone
6 Jake Trueman
20 Jack Sinfield
8 Mike McMeeken
9 Tyson Smoothy
10 Ky Rodwell
11 Seth Nikotemo
18 Isaiah Vagana
13 Jazz Tevaga
Subs (all used)
15 Caleb Hamlin-Uele
16 Caius Faatili
17 Harvey Smith
31 Kian McGann (D)
18th man (not used)
24 Tray Lolesio
Also in 21-man squad
12 Matty Storton
32 Will Tate
33 Charlie Abraham

Tries: Johnstone (7, 24), Nikotemo (33, 78), McMeeken (37), Tevaga (74)
Goals: Jowitt 6/6

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-12, 0-18, 0-24; 4-24, 10-24, 10-30, 10-36

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Hull FC: Tom Briscoe; Trinity: Isaiah Vagana

Penalty count: 5-3
Half-time: 0-24
Referee: Aaron Moore
Attendance: 12,161