Super League: Wakefield Trinity 0-8 Huddersfield Giants - visitors get first win of season
- Published
Huddersfield's Joe Greenwood touched down for the only try of a low-scoring affair
Betfred Super League |
|---|
Wakefield (0) 0 |
Huddersfield (0) 8 |
Try: Greenwood Goals: Lolohea 2 |
Huddersfield Giants picked up their first win of the Super League season and heaped further pressure on winless Wakefield Trinity in the process.
After a scoreless first period, Tui Lolohea slotted the first points early in the second half and Joe Greenwood's try stretched the Giants' lead.
Trinity not only failed to truly trouble Giants, but also lost key winger Lewis Murphy to injury.
They have now failed to score a single point in their past two matches.
Ian Watson's Giants were beaten in their opening Super League encounter by fellow title hopefuls Warrington last week and, despite getting off the mark in their second fixture, they were not at their fluent best.
However, they did have enough to outmuscle Trinity, with a well-worked score - triggered by an Esan Marsters offload - finished off with raw power by Greenwood.
Mark Applegarth's start as Wakefield head coach has been a difficult one, with three straight losses and issues surrounding the newly-laid pitch at Belle Vue.
The loss of Murphy, who has been linked with a move to the National Rugby League in Australia, would be a major blow given his promise and the departure of free-scoring Tom Johnstone to Catalans Dragons during the winter.
Wakefield boss Mark Applegarth:
"We're in round three and we've played three out of last year's top four, it's not panic now. It's not doom and gloom by any means. There's a lot of effort there and a lot of things we can work with.
"The effort and application is there, we just have to get a bit smarter in certain parts of the field. We have to put our attack together we showed against Catalans and our defence we showed tonight.
"The two weeks off has done its job [for the pitch]. It's getting quite a lot of treatment behind the scenes. I didn't hear any complaints from either side."
Huddersfield head coach Ian Watson:
"It was a tough and well-earned one. We knew they were going to turn up today and play for the pride.
"For them, they've got something to work on and for us it was the nil and our defence.
"It was a really good arm-wrestle mentality in there. To keep teams in Super League to nil is a big ask. I didn't feel like we were being overstretched."
Wakefield: Kay; Kershaw, Langi, Taufua, Murphy; Gaskell, Lino; Whitbread, Hood, Atoni, Pitts, Ashurst, Crowther.
Interchanges: Smith, Battye, Proctor, Eseh.
Huddersfield: Lolohea; McGillvary, Marsters, Bibby, Cudjoe; Pryce, Fages; Hill, Peats, Wilson, McQueen, Jones, Yates.
Interchanges: Trout, Golding, English, Greenwood.
Referee: Aaron Moore