HULL KR 6 WAKEFIELD TRINITY 34
JAMES CHESTNEY, Sewell Group Craven Park, Sunday

WAKEFIELD overcame a youthful Hull KR on a bitterly cold afternoon, led by player of the match Jack Sinfield.

Both sides introduced new signings throughout the game, but it was the greater experience of Daryl Powell’s side that won through as Sinfield, along with Jake Trueman, pulled the strings for Trinity.

Their experience was apparent early on with a second-minute try from Caius Faatili, who got on the end of a slide-rule Trueman kick for Max Jowitt to convert.

It was a very stop-start first half, with referee Liam Rush dishing out ten penalties for minor infringements.

The youthful Robins were made to work hard in defence but coming up against a strong side in opposition didn’t seem to worry them.

On seven minutes gone Trinity winger Jayden Myers headed for the corner, only to be stopped by a combination of Karl Lawton, who played 65 minutes on debut, and Jack Broadbent taking the winger into touch at the flag.

On the back of a penalty Rovers made inroads into the Trinity half as a combination of Jordan Dezaria and Lawton found Noah Booth, but his final pass to the impressive Jumah Sambou saw the winger step into touch. However, a Lawton forward pass inside his own twenty put the Robins under pressure as Seth Nikotemo went in from close range as Jowitt made it two from two.

The 23rd minute saw Trinity in again as Jowitt found Corey Hall, but he was well tackled by Sambou. Hall had the last laugh, however, when he found a gap to get the ball down. 

Jowitt added another conversion but failed to convert his own try nine minutes from the half-time break.

Trinity made wholesale changes at the break and it was the Robins who scored their only points of the game eight minutes after the restart. It started with a powerful run from Frankie Dearlove, which saw Rovers into the Trinity 20, leaving Bill Leyland to use his strength to get over the line as Charles added the conversion.

A late tackle on Sinfield by Zach Fishwick gave Trinity more momentum ten metres from the line and they made Rovers pay as the halfback recovered to send in Nikotemo for his second try of the game. Jowitt was again on target for a 28-6 lead and they could have scored again but Charlie Abraham was held up over the line.

Rovers had a chance to add to their tally, but Booth slid into touch close to the line before Trinity sealed the game in the closing minutes, when a long looping pass found Kain McGann, who scored in the corner as Jowitt added a superb touchline conversion.

GAMESTAR: Jack Sinfield’s leadership on the field saw Trinity score at crucial times.

GAMEBREAKER: Two tries in the final part of the first half saw Trinity open up a 22-point half-time lead.

MATCHFACTS

HULL KR
1 Declan Murphy
2 Jumah Sambou
3 Noah Booth
4 Louix Gorman
5 Harvey Horne
6 Jack Broadbent
7 Jack Charles
8 Jordan Dezaria
9 Bill Leyland
10 Cobie Wainhouse
11 Karl Lawton
12 Frankie Dearlove
13 Tom Whitehead
Subs (all used)
14 Zach Fishwick
15 Alfie Woods
16 Joe Thompson
17 Jeylan Hodgson
18 Luca Irwin
19 Alfie Petty
22 Henry Hope

Tries: Leyland (48)
Goals: Charles 1/1

TRINITY
1 Max Jowitt
2 Oliver Pratt
3 Cam Scott
4 Corey Hall
21 Jayden Myers
6 Jake Trueman
20 Jack Sinfield
15 Caleb Hamlin-Uele
9 Tyson Smoothy
16 Caius Faatili
11 Seth Nikotemo
12 Matty Storton
14 Jay Pitts
Subs (all used)
10 Charlie Abraham
17 Harvey Smith
18 Isaiah Vagana
19 Lachlan Walmsley
22 Corey Abraham
23 Josh Rourke
24 Tray Lolesio
25 Jordan Williams
28 Noah High
29 Alfie Briggs
31 Kain McGann
32 Will Tate
– Zack Clegg

Tries: Faatili (2), Nikotemo (13, 59), Hall (23), Jowitt (31), McGann (76)
Goals: Jowitt 5/6

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-12, 0-18, 0-22; 6-22, 6-28, 6-34

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Hull KR: Jack Charles; Trinity: Jack Sinfield

Penalty count: 6-9
Half-time: 0-22
Referee: Liam Rush