Luke Gale unhappy after Wakefield Trinity’s defeat to Castleford Tigers

Former Leeds Rhinos, Hull FC and Castleford Tigers star Luke Gale spoke after Wakefield trinity lost to his former side Castleford in a do or die clash in the relegation battle.

Gale was a mid season signing brought in to turn things around at Belle Vue and he has certaibly done his job but couldn’t deliver Friday night against the Tigers as a Greg Eden hat trick helped sink Wakefield in a 28-12 defeat.

After the game, Gale spoke to Sky Sports and admitted he was unhappy with his side’s performance:

“Disappointed, it was a big game and we knew it and I didn’t think we started great. Cas started a bit better.

“After 20 minutes, we got our momentum and we probably dominated the first half until the last three or four minutes but they posted two quick tries and we couldn’t wrestle momentum back after that.

“At the end of the day, I just didn’t think we were good enough and Cas were the better team.”

He was adamant that the season isn’t over for Wakefield:

“Look we just spoke then, it isn’t over. We have been behind most of the season.

“Yeah, we need to go and win two or three games and have a big end to the season but we are massively disappointed. The crowd has been good to us in recent times and we let them down.”

Wakefield started brightly, and looked like drawing first blood in the game; however Jordan Turner thought otherwise and drags Josh Griffin into touch. From the following set the Fords break down the field, and Miller’s pinpoint cross-field kick is swatted into Tasipale’s hands for the first of the night.

On his second debut for the Trin, Josh Griffin thought he had scored his side’s first try; however it was ruled out by the video referee due to Matty Ashurst’s involvement.

A sweeping move through the Wakefield backline found the ball in Max Jowitt’s hands, and the full back broke through a gap in the Castleford defence to pull his side back within two points.

If at first you don’t succeed, try again; and Josh Griffin did exactly this as he crashed over from short range to give his side the lead. A delayed pass from Mason Lino created a hole for the former Hull FC man, and there’s no stopping him out from that range.

A monstrous kick from Blake Austin caused havoc for Tom Lineham, who knocks on. This scrum gives the Fords the perfect chance to score, and later on in the set they work it back on the left edge and Greg Eden reaches out to put his side back in front.

In the dying embers of the first half, Greg Eden gets his second. A knock-on from Griffin again puts the Tigers in great field position, and a strike move gets the ball through the hands and Eden scampers over in the corner.

Elliot Wallis turns defence into attack in the blink of an eye as he breaks from deep in his own half. He then connects beautifully with Tasipale to continue the break, but they couldn’t score directly from the break; however it didn’t take them long as a strike move from the ruck allowed Alex Foster to reap the rewards of Wallis’s break, and following Widdop’s successful conversion, the visitors led by 14 points.

Wakefield would respond well to the Foster try. They would work it down close to the line, but a late hit from Tasipale gave them another set in Cas territory, and they would make this chance count as Josh Griffin crossed out wide for his second try of the night.

A crucial opportunity goes amiss for the home side, as a forward pass denies Tom Lineham a certain try. That would have pulled Wakefield back within six points. Could it come back to haunt them?

Castleford would rub salt into the wound left from the missed chance, as Gareth Widdop slotted a penalty goal following a late hit on Jacob Miller. The Fords now led by 12 points with only 15 minutes left in the game.

A cross-field kick from Mason Lino isn’t dealt with by the Castleford defence, and Tom Lineham comes within inches of scoring an opportunist try; but he grounds the ball on the dead ball line. It would have taken something special for him to score it, but it’s great instincts from the winger.

In the dying ember of the game, Greg Eden secures his hat-trick as he rounds off a famous victory for the Tigers.