Blowing away the Christmas day cobwebs, the traditionalencounter between the newly promoted Wakefield Trinity and the Leeds Rhinosdrew the crowd to AMT Headingley for a Boxing Day morning encounter.
Rhinos coach Arthur was up front with his game plan, givingthe first choice back row a forty-minute run and then interchanging them forthe youngsters for the second forty, as they came up against ex-coach DarylPowell’s Trinity who were looking to gauge where they are in their build up to towardsthe Superleague season.
Leeds put the boot through the ball to kick off the finalgame of 2025, attacking the Western Terrace.
It was a string start from the Rhinos, building pressure on theWakefield line and playing the majority of the game in the Wakefield half. On eightminutes Jake Connor dropped the shoulder to go through a small gap in the Trinitydefence to score by the right upright to give the home side the lead, a debuttry for the Rhinos new boy. Connor added the conversion for a 6-0 lead.
Connot got his second on fourteen with another dummy afterhe joined the Rhinos line to take a Brodie Croft pass and dot down. Once gainhe added the conversion to put the Rhinos two scores ahead.
Turning defence into attack, a great break from Maika Sivoover eighty metres put the Rhinos in a great attacking position but the Wakefielddefence held firm and Trinity trailed by twelve at the interval.
Wakefield opened their account on forty-seven with a ninetymetre try from Noah Booth after a Rhinos from Joe Diskin mistake on the attack,putting the ball to ground. Olly Russell added the conversion for 6-12.
Mikolaj Oledzki was held up over the line for the Rhinos onfifty-two. But on sixty-two it was Wakefield who scored again with SethNikotemo going through a big gap in the Leeds defence and grounding by the leftupright. Russell banged the kick between the posts to tie the game withseventeen minutes remaining.
Seven minutes from time and Trinity hit the from with DomSinfield on the end of a nice left to right passing move to run the angle anddot down in the corner. This time the conversion was wide of the mark,Wakefield with a slender four-point lead.
From the kick-off the Rhinos hit straight back as GeorgeBrown caught a bouncing ball that bamboozled the Wakefield defence to go overthe line and score. Jack Sinfield added the conversion to regain the lead forthe Rhinos with just three minutes remaining.
Leeds ran the clock down in the attack to take the win inthe festive challenge and give the respective coaches plenty to think about,and be positive about, ahead of the coming season. It was a dream debut forJake Connor with two tries and two goals but Wakefield showed that they havethe backbone to be competitive in 2025.
Leeds Rhinos: Connor (2T, 2G), Sivo, Newman, Handley, Hall,Croft, Frawley, Oledzki, Ackers, Palasia. Bentley, McDonnell, Smith. Subs: O’Connor,Sinfield (G), Holroyd, Lumb, Diskin, Nicholson-Watton, Brown (T).
Wakefield Trinity: Rourke, Pratt, Scott, Hall, Walmsley,Trueman, Russell (2G), Hamlin-Uele, Smith, Rodwell, Nikotemo (T), Vagana, Cozza. Subs: Stephenson, Lingard, Sinfield (T),Staveley-Carr, McSwiney, Delaney, Lino, Bain, Croft, Walker-Smith, Shaw, Booth(T).
Half-Time: 12-0.
Full-Time: 18-16.
Score Progression: 4-0,6-0, 10-0, 12-0 : HT: 12-4, 12-6, 12-10, 12-12, 12-16, 16-16, 18-16 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: Leeds – Square – Wakefield -Square - Leeds.
Referee: Tom Grant.
