York Knights v Wakefield: Five takeaways as ‘second-half explosion’ powers Trinity to victory

Following Wakefield Trinity’s 26-14 win over York Knights at the LNER Community Stadium, here are our five key takeaways from the round six clash.

The top line

Wakefield Trinity secured a gritty 26-14 win over York Knights at the LNER Community Stadium, but they certainly had to fight for it.

Sam Wood opened the scoring for the hosts after 14 minutes, bashing over from a typical crash line, with Nikau Williams’s conversion extending it to 6-0 shortly after.

Trench warfare shortly took over in the middle third of the half, but that was quickly ended through a flurry of tries for both sides. Caleb Hamlin-Uele got that off with his opening score just after the 30-minute mark, before Ben Jones-Bishop responded with York’s second try of the game. Heading into the break, Oliver Pratt crossed to give his side a slender lead going into the sheds.

That was quickly extended in the second-half, too, as Tom Johnstone got his name on the scoresheet after a sweeping move through the Trinity left edge.

A Williams try threatened to bring York back into the game, a feeling which was furthered following a yellow card to Max Jowitt, but it was Wakefield who pulled clear as Johnstone and Pratt added their respective second scores in the final five minutes to ensure they took the spoils back to West Yorkshire.

Where the game was won

This was a really even game for large parts, but when it mattered most, Wakefield went for the jugular and grabbed back-to-back scores at the end of the first and second halves, which proved the difference.

The late scores from Johnstone and Pratt were vital in killing any sort of fightback from the hosts in those latter stages, but it’s also the two scores from Hamlin-Uele and Pratt in the first-half that played a crucial role.

Wakefield were by no means down and out at the 30-minute mark, but they just needed something to spark them into life. That flurry proved exactly that. It just ignited a little bit of something in their bellies and allowed them to settle into the game. Mistakes became less frequent, collisions had that little bit more bite, they had just that little bit more purpose about them.

They were only little moments, but they were huge in the outcome of the game, and Wakefield owned them.

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The curse of the full-back

Another game, another full-back picks up an injury, with Toa Mata’afa seemingly picking up a dislocated elbow and later seen with the infamous ‘green pen’.

It’s a real shame for the Auckland-native, who has been outstanding all season for the newly promoted side in the early stages of the campaign, but it also adds another name to the full-back casualty list.

Hopefully, it is not as bad as it first appeared and he makes a speedy recovery.

A story of two halves

It’s funny what a half-time break can do for teams, and not for the first time this season, Wakefield’s second-half explosion powered them to victory.

There was a concentrated shift in the Trin’s style of play come the second-half, which was arguably lacking in the opening stanza despite their lead at the break. There was a sense of calmness to their play, just biding their time to take a proper chance when it presented itself rather than trying to pounce on a half-chance.

That then seemed to boost their confidence as the half went on, and they saw somewhat of a return to the style and the freedom they played with last season. Flowing strike moves down both edges, unpicking the stubborn Knights’ defence and creating spaces that weren’t there in the opening period.

Tries quickly followed off the back of that, with Pratt and Johnstone getting themselves over courtesy of those moves.

Powell will surely want much more of that intent and that play for the rest of the campaign.

Not here to make up the numbers

If you needed another reminder of it, York are not in the top flight to simply make up the numbers. They are here to mix it with the big boys.

Applegarth’s side just played with real intent across the park for the full 80 minutes, and were right in the fight as a result.

The middle unit of Xavier Va’a, Paul Vaughan, Justin Sangare and Jack Martin carried like they were angry at the ground at times tonight, while also fronting up to the Wakefield pack extremely well in defence and holding them at bay.

Their collective work just seemed to create a touch more space out wide for the outside backs unit, and they exploited it to good effect. York by no means threw the ball around willy-nilly, but they played expansively and went wide early in the sets to bring in the likes of David Nofoaluma and Ben Jones-Bishop. That then also allowed Sam Wood to add his customary strike to proceedings as well, popping up at just the right time to cut back against the grain and change the point of contact.

The scoreline certainly got away from them in the latter stages, but this was yet another brave, intense and genuinely enjoyable performance from the Knights.

They again showed they are fully worth the Super League status. They again showed they are not pretenders.

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