Super League: Wakefield Trinity 14-30 St Helens - Saints survive comeback to stay second

Lachlan Coote will move from St Helens to Hull KR from 2022

St Helens survived a second-half comeback to seal a well-earned victory against Wakefield in Super League.

Mark Percival and Lewis Dodd sent Saints ahead but Lee Kershaw and Innes Senior got Wakefield back in it.

Wakefield struck back through Senior again when Percival was sent to the bin but Lachlan Coote's kicking kept the visitors narrowly in the lead.

Coote went over for a try of his own as the game drew to a close before Tommy Makinson's try wrapped up the win.

The result means St Helens remain in second place in Super League on points-per-game and register a win before next week's Challenge Cup final against Castleford at Wembley.

The hosts, who currently have 10 players injured, named just 19 players in their pre-match squad and had just 17 available for Friday's fixture due to Covid-19 and further injury disruption.

The match was Trinity's first since 24 June when they beat Wigan, with last week's match at Salford postponed due to Covid.

Wakefield were reduced to 12 players before the break when James Batchelor was sent to the bin following a tackle and Saints made their advantage count soon after when Coote kicked a penalty to edge them further ahead.

Saints' swift work in taking the lead had given Wakefield fears that it could be a long evening, but Kershaw and Senior's good work before the break gave them hope.

Percival went into the bin for a professional foul after the break and Trinity used their player advantage as well, this time through Senior, but Mason Lino struck the upright from his conversion attempt.

The visitors announced this week that talismanic half-back Coote would join Hull KR next season but he was on the mark for Saints with the boot as his seven goals ensured victory.

Wakefield boss Chris Chester told BBC Radio Leeds:

"We had a discussion in the dressing room and I just think we missed a really good opportunity to beat a really good St Helens side.

"I thought we showed plenty of character, spirit and toughness but we just missed an opportunity. In the first half we dealt with adversity and came out the other side and played good attacking rugby.

"In the second half we had enough ball to put enough good scores on but we looked a bit disconnected with the ball. There's a sense of disappointment because there won't be as many good opportunities to beat St Helens."

St Helens head coach Kristian Woolf:

"We've a couple of bumps and bruises but nothing to report injury wise. The two things we wanted from the game was to come through injury free and to get a tough hit-out which we did.

"Obviously we were not at our best but the thing I liked most is that we had to fight and we did that.

"The last 20 minutes when we were under pressure was when we played our best footy."

Wakefield: Hampshire, Kershaw, Lyne, Arundel, Senior, Lino, Miller, Westerman, Pitts, Ashurst, Arona, Batchelor, Tanginoa

Interchanges: Kay, Fifita, Battye, Aydin.

St Helens: Coote, Makinson, Naiqama, Percival, Grace, Lomax, Dodd, Walmsley, Roby, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Mata'utia, Batchelor, Knowles

Interchanges: Lees, Thompson, Paasi, Welsby.

Referee: B. Thaler.

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