LEIGH LEOPARDS 14 WAKEFIELD TRINITY 40
DAVE PARKINSON, Leigh Sports Village, Friday
LED superbly by Mike McMeeken and Liam Hood, Wakefield underlined their status as a rising name in Super League with a comfortable seven-try success against Leigh.
Prop McMeeken scored an unlikely double, alongside halfback Oliver Russell and winger Tom Johnstone, as Trinity made it three wins from three on the road and inflicted a second comfortable defeat in succession on the previously unbeaten Leopards.
A busy start to the game saw David Armstrong ruled to have lost the ball and, after Caleb Hamlin-Uele was held up over the line, McMeeken offloaded and Russell touched down in the tenth minute.
Wakefield doubled their advantage a couple of minutes later when they punished a mistake from Tesi Niu and hooker Hood fed McMeeken to the line for Mason Lino to add his second goal.
Leigh responded with a good containment set and their first penalty led to their first points when a cleverly disguised pass from Gareth O’Brien found a flying Umyla Hanley. O’Brien added the goal and it was 6-12.
Leigh perked up further with the arrival of Alec Tuitavake and Edwin Ipape from the bench, and a flowing move right on the last tackle involved O’Brien, Lachlan Lam, Hanley and finally Keanan Brand who finished confidently to make it 10-12.
O’Brien took the line on again two minutes later as the Leopards flooded forward but the effort was overruled by video referee Chris Kendall for a knock-on.
Chances were plentiful in the closing stages of the first half as Oliver Pratt spilled the ball under pressure after Johnstone took a Lino kick, while at the other end Ipape split the defence but Armstrong lost the ball.
Two minutes from the break, McMeeken scored after a lengthy video referee consultation. The ball broke after Lino’s high kick and Isaiah Vagana kicked on for the outstanding Wakefield captain to claim his second.
Lino added his third goal to put the visitors eight points clear at the break.
It was a better start to the new half for the hosts and Ipape was stopped on the line as they tried to mount a comeback.
But just as Leigh looked to be building something, Johnstone intercepted an Armstrong pass and sailed almost 80 metres untouched for Lino to add his fourth goal and push Trinity to 24-10.
A clever kick from Hood on the hour forced a drop-out for Trinity and in the next minute a typical dart from dummy-half by the former Leigh favourite saw him forge an unassailable advantage as a fifth goal from Lino brought 30 points up.
Frankie Halton marked his return with a storming run from Lam’s pass to give Leigh some hope.
But O’Brien was unable to convert and Wakefield finally confirmed the win with seven minutes remaining after Johnstone was ruled to have dragged in O’Brien’s pass before recovering to stride 90 metres for the score.
Lino added his sixth goal and the cherry-a-top the Trinity cake came inside the final minute when Russell took Josh Rourke’s pass over the line to claim their seventh try.
The sides will meet again next Friday, this time at Wakefield and with a Challenge Cup semi-final spot at stake.
GAMESTAR: Mike McMeeken was the best forward on the field during his time out there.
GAMEBREAKER: After Tom Johnstone’s first try in the 56th minute, the game looked done.
HIGHLIGHT REEL: Tom Johnstone’s 80-metre first intercept score.
ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Mike McMeeken (Wakefield)
2 pts Jay Pitts (Wakefield)
1 pt Liam Hood (Wakefield)
MATCHFACTS
LEOPARDS
1 David Armstrong
24 Bailey Hodgson
3 Tesi Nui
4 Umyla Hanley
18 Keanan Brand
6 Gareth O’Brien
7 Lachlan Lam
8 Owen Trout
17 Brad Dwyer
12 Jack Hughes
11 Frankie Halton
20 Ethan O’Neill
13 Isaac Liu
Subs (all used)
9 Edwin Ipape
15 Alec Tuitavake
16 Matt Davis
19 Louis Brogan
18th man (not used)
22 Ben McNamara
Also in 21-man squad
5 Josh Charnley
10 Robbie Mulhern
14 Aaron Pene
Tries: Hanley (17), Brand (25), Halton (64)
Goals: O’Brien 1/3
TRINITY
23 Josh Rourke
24 Matty Russell
3 Cam Scott
19 Oliver Pratt
5 Tom Johnstone
20 Mason Lino
7 Oliver Russell
8 Mike McMeeken
9 Liam Hood
15 Caleb Hamlin-Uele
12 Josh Griffin
18 Isaiah Vagana
13 Jay Pitts
Subs (all used)
10 Ky Rodwell
21 Mathieu Cozza
28 Harvey Smith
31 Caius Faatili
18th man (not used)
2 Lachlan Walmsley
Also in 21-man squad
6 Jake Trueman
16 Renouf Atoni
25 Jack Croft
Tries: O Russell (10, 80), McMeeken (13, 39), Johnstone (56, 73), Hood (61)
Goals: Lino 6/7
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-12, 6-12, 10-12, 10-18; 10-24, 10-30, 14-30, 14-36, 14-40
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Leopards: Frankie Halton; Trinity: Mike McMeeken
Penalty count: 4-1
Half-time: 10-18
Referee: Marcus Griffiths
Attendance: 8,050