Super League: Wakefield Trinity 0-32 Leigh - Hosts hammered by Leopards for ninth straight defeat

Leigh Leopards scored four of their tries against Wakefield Trinity in the second half at Belle Vue

Wakefield Trinity's nightmare start to the Super League season took a turn for the worse as they were hammered by Adrian Lam's Leigh Leopards at Belle Vue to suffer a ninth straight defeat.

First-half tries by Gareth O'Brien and Ben Reynolds were supplemented by four more after the break.

Lachlan Lam, Super League top scorer Josh Charnley - with two in quick succession - and Joe Mellor crossed.

But Wakefield's real misery was being nilled for a fifth time in nine games.

They have scored just 47 points in eight games - and only eight tries. But at least their defence looked up to snuff early on against Leigh.

It took almost half an hour to bring the game's first points but O'Brien's opening unconverted try was quickly followed by another from Reynolds, who this time did nail the conversion.

And that opened the gates for the Leopards to stretch clear after the break.

Lam's try was followed by two for Charnley, who is now out on his own as Super League top try scorer this season on 12.

Mellor then cashed in on a lucky bounce to sum up the way the breaks are currently going for rock-bottom Trinity.

Mark Applegarth's side now face a trip to in-form Wigan next Sunday, while ninth-placed Leigh, who are up to within two points of the play-offs, have a five-day turnaround before hosting Leeds Rhinos on Friday night.

Charnley's superb two-try show also had his coach Lam questioning why the former Wigan and Warrington winger has been overlooked for a place in Shaun Wane's 40-strong England squad to play France in a fortnight.

Wakefield coach Mark Applegarth:

"Some of the things we saw in the second half are not acceptable but I can't continue saying the same thing every week - the reality is we've got to fix it. Of course I think I'm the right man - it's just a difficult process that I have to go through.

"In the first half, we were looking really good but we came out and did completely the opposite of what we said we were going to do. Leigh have seen a vulnerability and put their foot fully on our throat and exploited it.

"Ultimately I'm head coach so the buck stops with me. We're doing one thing in training and coming out and doing another thing in a game, and that's the kind of thing that rattles you as a coach.

"I don't fear things that I can't control. I've had some pretty honest chats with the board and I've never stepped away from it. If I thought that I was the issue I'd be the first to put my hand up. But I feel I've prepared a team as well as I could and we have gone out and failed to execute."

Leigh coach Adrian Lam:

"Josh Charnley should be in that England squad. I felt for him. You can't do much more than what he's doing.

"The people around him are really proud of what he's done, and in pre-season he was as professional as any player I've ever been involved with around the world. He's one of the best finishers ever in Super League. He's certainly made a difference.

"We knew it would be a tough ask as almost every team that's come up in the last 10 years has gone straight back down.

"But we have high expectations, we did well to recruit some good players for this year, and it's been a really interesting journey for me. You can hit the wall at any stage but we have got to keep on looking forward."

Wakefield: Dagger; Kershaw, Lyne, Langi, Taufua; Smith, Lino; Whitbread, Hood, Atoni, Hewitt, Ashurst, Pitts.

Interchange: Kay, Battye, Bowden, Proctor; Bowes.

Leigh: O'Brien; Briscoe, Leutele, Hardaker, Charnley; Reynolds, Lam; Amone, Ipape, Mulhern, Holmes, O'Donnell, Asiata.

Interchange: Mellor, Seumanufagai, Wilde, Davis; Hanley.

Referee: Marcus Griffiths.

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