After suffering a minor setback and blemish on their one hundred percent record with defeat at the hands of Toulouse Olympique XIII last weekend, Wakefield Trinity looked to get back to winning ways with a home game against a Featherstone Rovers side who have run hot and cold throughout 2024.
Neither side could improve their league position with a win and Wakefield were massive favourites with the bookies to overcome their defeat and get back to winning ways as they were handicapped by twenty-four points on the coupon.
Featherstone were looking over their shoulders with concern and a heavy defeat could potentially cost them three league places and see them ending the weekend in ninth place.
It took ten minutes for Wakefield to register the opening points of the game and they came from Josh Bowden who took a Liam Hood pass to go over after Jay Pitts had gone close. Max Jowitt was on target with the conversion for a 6-0 lead.
Jermaine McGillvary exploited a big gap in the Featherstone defence on twenty to go in for the second Wakefield try out wide. Jowitt converted brilliantly from the touchline to double the lead, it was all too easy for the home side and Featherstone were punished for their mistakes.
Liam Hood was denied a try on thirty-one for a double movement but two minutes later Lachlan Walmsley pushed through the defence and stretched for the line to ground off a Jowitt pass. Jowitt hit the mark again and with four minutes of the half remaining it was 18-0.
Featherstone finally registered their first points of the half with two minutes of it remaining, Brad Day wrongfooting Walmsley to ghost in and score. Ben Reynolds added the extras as the half time hooter sounded, the home lead twelve points at the interval.
It was a great start to the second half for Featherstone with Moris Kamano spinning out of the tackle to score after a Derrell Olpherts mistake twenty from his own line. Reynolds added the conversion and after looking as though the game was already beyond them, Rovers were within six of their hosts.
Good pressure from Wakefield cracked the Rovers defence with Josh Bowden exploiting an overlap down the left-hand side to get the fourth try of the afternoon for Trinity. Jowitt found the target for the fourth time for 24-12.
Wakefield conjured a try from nothing with Oli Pratt taking a Luke Gale pass and going forty metres to outpace the tacklers and score in the right-hand corner. Jowitt hit the mark again for 30-12, Wakefield pulling away to the win and the two points.
It was back-to-back tries for Trinity, Walmsley sliding over for his second of the afternoon to bury Featherstone’s hopes. A sixth consecutive goal from Jowitt extended the lead to twenty-four points. Wakefield were totally dominant.
Great footwork from Walmsley, dancing through the defence, allowed him to pass to Jack Croft for a simple walk-in try and when Jowitt made it seven from seven it was 42-12 with just under eight minutes remaining.
There was a late consolation for Featherstone on seventy-seven with Greg Minikin stepping off both feet to go through a tiring Wakefield defence for the third score for the visitors. Reynolds made it three from three but a final try of the game from Olpherts, reward for a great performance as he ran in down the wing, made the scoreline 46-18. Jowitt missing his first kick of the afternoon.
It was an easy win for Wakefield, despite them not fully hitting their straps as they marched on again after last week’s blip. With the rest of todays results going against Rovers they now find themselves outside the six and on level points with the sides in eighth and ninth. Wakefield, however, seem unstoppable as they march on.
Wakefield Trinity: Walmsley (2T), McGillvary (T), Croft (T), Pratt (T), Olpherts (T), Gale, Jowitt (7/8 G), Bowden (2T), Hood, Bain, Ashurst, Griffin. Pitts. Subs: Uele, Shaw, Doyle, Boothroyd. 18th Man: Kay.
Featherstone Rovers: Eden, Jeffery, Barley, Minikin (T), Wynne, Reynolds (3/3 G), Aekins, Springer, Bowes, Nakubuwai, Hardcastle, Day (T), Kibuka. Subs: Tennison, Silk, Kamano (T), Arnold. 18th Man: Harris.
Half-Time: 18-6.
Full-Time: 46-18.
Score Progression: 4-0, 6-0, 10-0, 12-0, 16-0, 18-0, 18-4, 18-6 : HT: 18-10, 18-12, 22-12, 24-12, 28-12, 30-12, 34-12, 36-12, 40-12, 42-12, 42-16, 42-18, 46-18 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: Wakefield.
Referee: James Vella.
