The Wigan Warriors were too strong at the end and there was no doubt that they deserved their place in the semi-final doubleheader at Elland Road on May 7, when they take on champions St Helens.
But Wakefield, missing key players including star winger Tom Johnstone (back injury) and captain/matchup Jacob Miller (quad muscle), gave them a major first-half scare. Wakefield dominated in every aspect of that period except the one that mattered most, falling 12-6. Wigan rarely got out of their own half, but resolute defending kept them in the contest and when they did get a chance to attack, they made their limited chances count.
Trinity overtook their opponents’ line without reward three times, but Wigan scored twice in five minutes on either side of the interval to take the tie firmly and after young winger Lewis Murphy squandered a great chance for the hosts, there was no turn back.
Wakefield, however, can take a lot from the way they played in the first 40. Behind some excellent kicking play from Mason Lino, they gave Wigan frequent problems on the ball and were unlucky enough to record just one try.
They also showed impressive spirit, fighting back after Wigan opened the scoring, in the 13th minute, before they played the ball in Trinity’s 20th minute.
Trinity put them under heavy pressure, but the visitors survived, successively, a 40-20, a John Bateman knock-on and a lane abandon, all forced by Lino’s kicks; then another drop kick from Lee Gaskell and finally what could have been a try for Murphy, who replaced Johnstone on the left flank.
He reached out with one hand from a Max Jowitt pass and referee James Child signaled a try, but video assistant Robert Hicks called it off. It was an excellent defensive contribution from Zak Hardaker, who shoved the rookie just before he brought the ball down.
In the next set, Cade Cust slipped a pass to Liam Farrell and he stormed into space before moving into supporting Jai Field. Hardaker got the first of six conversions from him and then Murphy was in the middle of a 12-point turnaround when Trinity tied it late in the first quarter. First, he hammered Iain Thornley when he seemed sure the winger would score; then, in the ensuing set, he reached for Corey Hall’s pass in a repeat of the previous near miss, but this time the ball was down before he landed over the sideline.
Jowitt’s goal leveled the score and Trinity twice came close to snatching the lead from him after Lino’s 40-20 second half, John Bateman stopped James Batchelor over the line before Gaskell ran through him, but the touchdown was ruled out. due to an obstruction. Trinity couldn’t have given much more, but with four minutes to go Ethan Harvard scored off Leuluai’s volley.
It took Wigan just 50 seconds into the second half to extend their lead to 18-6, Field scoring his second try on a Patrick Mago volley.
Wakefield had a clear chance to get back into the game when Jowitt ran into the Wigan defence, but Murphy spilled his pass a few yards away.
Wigan sealed it with 17 minutes to go when Bevan French set up a field position for Hardaker to pass; Farrell scored after neither Liam Kay nor Jowitt could have dealt with a kick from Cust and Field completed his hat-trick in the final minute.
Wakefield Trinity: Jowitt, Kay, Lyne, Hall, Murphy, Gaskell, Lino, Arona, Hood, Tanginoa, Pitts, Ashurst, Batchelor. Alternates: Whitbread, Bowes, Battye, Crowther.
Wigan Warriors: Field, Thornley, Bibby, Hardaker, French, Cust, Leuluai, Singleton, Powell, Partington, Farrell, Bateman, Smithies. Substitutes: Wizard, Byrne, Havard, Shorrocks.
Referee: James Child (Dewsbury).
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Source: www.yorkshirepost.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-04-10 16:46:38
