Friday’s Betfred Super League fixture between Wakefield Trinity and Huddersfield Giants went ahead as scheduled. The playing surface at the Be Well Support Stadium was inspected before hand, and the clubs agreed that the match should go ahead. Monitoring of the surface will continue over the coming weeks.
The pitch became a talking point after Round One when Catalans Dragons coach Steve McNamara complained about the pitch.
McNamara had said of the pitch after the game:
“It was a pretty tough game on a pitch that took skin of your legs. The boys there, their legs are red raw. It’s an issue. It’s an issue for Wakefield moving forward for their players. I haven’t seen anything like that before in terms of the blisters and blood that’s in there off that field there.”
When asked if he was a fan, he said: “No I’m not a fan, not if that’s the outcome. If the outcome is that, then definitely. It’s going to create issues I’m sure. We haven’t got to play on it again but they have to play on it every other week.
“I didn’t quite realise it was like that before we came. We’d seen pictures but it’s an issue.”
He then stated: “That’s the worst dressing room I’ve seen for skin taken off legs without a doubt.”
After the decision was made Huddersfield boss Ian Watson revealed that he was desperate for the game to go ahead after his side missed Round One due to St Helens playing in the World Club Challenge.
He revealed that the Giants offered plenty of solutions as he said that Wakefield should have considered an alternate stadium.
The game went ahead and the Giants won a tight affair 8-0 with Joe Greenwood scoring the only try of the contest.
All that said, the pitch should come together nicely in the coming weeks and months with Mark Applegarth saying that he has been told it will be the best surface in the league when ready.
This is of course the heart of a terrific redevelopment of the entire stadium which is really starting to take shape as Chairman John Minards pointed out.
He highlighted before the game how the North Stand was ready for fans before sharing a picture of the East Stand coming along nicely with the caption: “The future is now.”
The future is nearly here @WTrinityRL 🔴⚪️🔵 pic.twitter.com/1IHD2ybUpM
— John Minards (@MinardsTrinity) March 3, 2023
He also provided an inside look at the northern concourse and player’s tunnel which is on target for completion in August.
Inside the northern concourse and out through the players’ tunnel inside the new East Stand….. 🔴🔵⚪️ Full completion on target for August 👍 pic.twitter.com/NQtWsi5zGG
— John Minards (@MinardsTrinity) March 3, 2023
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