A dominant display from Wakefield saw Hull well-beaten in Round 15 of Super League on Friday evening, going down 36-10.
Hull were made to work hard for long stretches against a direct and physical Wakefield side.
Trinity led 24-0 at the break and, although the Black & Whites produced a spirited response
in the third quarter, the visitors pulled clear late to claim the points.
Two early tries from Tom Johnstone set the tone, and Wakefield had the game in hand by
half-time. Hull hit back through Tom Briscoe and Davy Litten to make it 24-10 and give
themselves a sniff, but two sin-bins at crucial moments undid their momentum and Trinity
finished the stronger side.
Team News
Andy Last made one change to the side that beat Huddersfield a week earlier, with Davy Litten
returning to the centres in place of Lloyd Kemp.
Will Pryce (ACL), Zak Hardaker, John Asiata (hamstring), Cade Cust (shoulder), James Bell
(knee), Sam Lisone (pectoral), Ligi Sao (shoulder), Brad Fash (knee), Arthur Romano
(ankle), Connor Bailey (clavicle) and Joe Ward (ACL) all remained sidelined.
The Match
Wakefield went straight down the middle from the first whistle and barely came off it. Jack
Sinfield’s cross-kick to the left found Johnstone, who climbed above Harvey Barron to score
in the ninth minute, Max Jowitt converting.
Hull were forced into an early reshuffle. Will Hutchinson came on inside the opening
exchanges, Max Wood replaced Harvie Hill after a head knock, and Hugo Salabio was on by
the 12th minute. Hill later passed his assessment and returned.
Trinity’s second was a thing of quality. Jake Trueman floated a looping pass over the top of
two defenders, Johnstone gathered, stepped back inside and went over for his double on 16
minutes. Jowitt again added the extras for a 12-0 lead.
It got harder for Hull on 27 minutes when Herman Ese’e ese sin-binned after a flashpoint with
Johnstone. Wakefield made the extra man count. Seth Nikotemo forced his way over on 33
minutes after Sinfield’s kick was scrambled back in, and Mike McMeeken backed up a
sweeping move to score on 36. Jowitt converted both, and Trinity led 24-0 at the break.
Half-Time: Hull FC 0-24 Wakefield Trinity
Hull were a different proposition after half-time. Briscoe slid over in the left corner from a
scrum play on 47 minutes for the hosts’ first points, though Sezer was off target with the
conversion. The winger then turned creator, breaking off his left foot from deep and putting
Litten over on the inside on 59 minutes. Sezer’s goal made it 24-10 and Hull had a foothold.
The fightback stalled when Jeremiah Mata’utia was sin-binned for a shoulder charge on
Sinfield on 67 minutes, a second yellow of the night for the home side.
Down to twelve again, Hull could not keep Wakefield out. Jazz Tevaga went over from dummy-half on
74 minutes, and Nikotemo grabbed his second from close range with the clock dead. Jowitt
finished with a perfect six from six.
Full-Time: Hull FC 10-36 Wakefield Trinity
Team News & Scorers
Hull FC: Moy, Barron, O’Neill, Litten, Briscoe, Arthur, Sezer, Mata’utia, Bourouh, Hill,
Batchelor, Cartwright, Kirby
Hull FC Interchanges: Ese’ese, Hutchinson, Salabio, Wood
Hull FC Tries: Briscoe (47), Litten (59)
Hull FC Goals: Sezer (1/2)
Wakefield Trinity: McMeeken, Smoothy, Rodwell, Nikotemo, Vagana, Tevaga, Trueman,
Sinfield, Johnstone, Pitts, Scott, Rourke, Jowitt
Wakefield Trinity Interchanges: Hamlin-Uele, Faatili, Smith, McGann
Wakefield Trinity Tries: Johnstone (9, 16), Nikotemo (33, 80), McMeeken (36), Tevaga
(74)
Wakefield Trinity Goals: Jowitt (6/6)
