Wakefield Trinity 26 Huddersfield Giants 22: Plenty to work on despite pre-season victory, insists Chester
Coach Chris Chester admitted his team were not as good as he had hoped, despite the positive result against their Betfred Super League rivals.
“I don’t think either side could get into a rhythm,” Chester reflected. “It was a very stop-start game, lots of penalties and we need to have a look at the reasons why we are giving away so many.
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Hide Ad“We have learned that we’re probably not where we want to be at this moment in time, but we’ve got a full week ahead now in Lanzarote to work on the things we didn’t do particularly well.
“I thought our ruck control was poor in the first half, but I thought we grew into the game in the second half and we did a lot of good things.”
Of individuals, Chester said: “Young Jordy Crowther had a good opening to the game, I thought Anthony England was very good and Dave Fifita grew into the game and had a real strong second half.
“We scored some nice tries and looked pretty good with the ball, especially when we got near their tryline. Overall it was a solid display, without getting too carried away.”
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Hide AdJustin Horo missed the match due to a calf problem, but is expected to be available for Trinity’s opening Super League game at Hull KR on February 2. Chester said injuries to Reece Lyne (ankle) and Bill Tupou (dead leg) were not serious.
Ben Jones-Bishop (2) and Scott Grix scored first-half tries for Trinity, Liam Finn converting two, but the sides went in for the break locked at 16-16 after Jake Mamo, Ukuma Ta’ai and Lee Gaskell crossed for Giants and Danny Brough landed two goals.
Grix scored the winner after Matty Ashurst try and a Grix conversion was cancelled out by Jordan Turner touching down and Brough adding the extras.
Wakefield Trinity: Grix, Jones-Bishop, Lyne, Tupou, Johnstone, Miller, Finn, Fifita, K Wood, England, Ashurst, Kirmond, Crowther. Subs Jowitt, Hampshire, Annakin, Hirst, Arundel, Baldwinson, Caton-Brown, Arona.
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Hide AdHuddersfield Giants: Mamo, Ormsby, Gaskell, Turner, Murphy, Rankin, Brough, Walne, O’Brien, Clough, Lawrence, Roberts, Hinchcliffe. Subs Ferguson, Smith, Ta’ai, S Wood, Roche, Dickinson, Wardle, Senior.
Referee: Scott Mikalauskas (Warrington).