The interim head coach last night clinched a second win in three games since replacing fired Chris Chester.
There are many people in search of the role for 2022, but Wakefield’s assistant’s CV is looking more and more impressive.
Poching saw his team, trailing 10-0 at first, but later inspired by Kelepi Tanginoa, fought back to produce a spirited success against Hull KR.
The visitors had also lost Joe Arundel in the warm-up, meaning that James Batchelor played as a makeshift center and the 18th Yusuf Aydin came on the bench.
Trinity looked like they might be impressed when the Rovers, looking to bounce back from Saturday’s derby loss to Hull FC, started off attempts by Luis Johnson and George Lawler.
However, Trinity suddenly came to life to record an excellent success.
Poching said: “I am immensely proud just because we had a little bit to deal with in the run-up to the game with what happened just before kickoff.
“He did not eliminate them. It was the ‘next man up’ mentality. And some of that continued in the game particularly when 10-0 down. The momentum was against us, but we got it back and we had the discipline to stay on track.
“There was great work from our leaders Joe Westerman and Jacob Miller. They were huge for us the way they took us.
“And Kelepi Tanginoa was a mountain man with some of the carries and the threat that he gave us, especially at a time when the game seemed to be flowing.”
As is often the case, Tanginoa was the inspiration, the mighty forward who ran over Johnson to escape from the middle and send Jacob Miller off easily.
Kyle Wood had shot out of the dead half with his first touch to make room for Tanginoa and he, too, was influential as Wakefield grew in the competition.
Trinity finally took the lead two minutes before the break.
Tanginoa had run another brilliant line from Miller to get close and although Crooks denied him a try, Ryan Hampshire scored late in the set after grabbing Mason Lino’s perfectly executed grubber towards the posts.
The Hampshire winger was playing the 150th game of his career with Max Jowitt injured and saw Mason Lino add a second conversion.
Tanginoa should have helped the visitors secure a third down early in the second period after Miller sent it clear this time.
However, the great Australian ignored Innes Senior and England winger Tom Johnstone off of him to try and beat Crooks and was easily knocked down.
Likewise, another chance was begging her as Fifita finally made her way and seemed destined for the line, but tried to pass Innes Senior, who was denied by Jimmy Keinhorst and brought back for a forward pass anyway.
Instead, the relieved Rovers equalized on Crooks’ 48-minute penalty, but the parity didn’t last long. Once again the errant hosts imploded, Brad Takairangi’s ground pass on the 20th from Wakefield instantly turned into a try at the other end in the 52nd minute.
Johnstone recovered initially and then found Senior who ran untouched from 50m for Lino to improve.
Just three minutes later, Lino chose a simple pass for former Hull FC defender Jay Pitts to navigate for his fourth converted try of the night.
Lino was on hand to produce a tackle to save Mikey Lewis’s try while Tony Smith’s team tried to put something together.
Crooks put them close behind, going into his fifth straight match against Trinity. He converted to outrun his team 24-18 but, try as they might, they lacked the finesse to come back and instead Miller rounded things off with a drop goal in the final seconds.
The Rovers were missing Rowan Milnes, Korbin Sims and Matty Storton since Saturday and will now have a battle to reach the top six after falling to seventh.
Smith said: “I thought we were more excited tonight.
“It wasn’t from lack of effort or from trying. When we went up 10-0 I still felt even then that they were a bit sharper than us.
“It is good that we show some spirit to fight back. Unfortunately we let the game get out of control through a few bugs.
“Even in that first period when we were scoring points, I just saw some signs in us where we weren’t as sharp as we normally are,” he added.
Hull KR: thieves; Keinhorst, Minikin, Kenny-Dowall, Hall; Takairangi, Lewis; Go away, Parcell, King, Linnett, Johnson, Hadley. Substitutes: Litten, Lawler, Mustapha, Maher.
Wakefield Trinity: Hampshire; Kershaw, Batchelor, Senior, Johnstone; Miller, Lino; Tanginoa, Kay, Westerman, Pitts, Ashurst, Crowther. Substitutes: Fifita, K Wood, Battye, Aydin.
Referee: Marcus Griffiths (Widnes)
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Source: www.yorkshirepost.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-08-26 22:01:06
