Wakefield Trinity have bounced back from their Challenge Cup exit in spectacular fashion, defeating Bradford Bulls 52-12
Tom Johnstone crossed for a first-half hat-trick whilst opposite winger Oli Pratt bagged three in the second half.
Trinity now sit joint-top of Super League with St Helens and Leeds Rhinos, whilst Bradford incur another defeat.
Arguably more damaging than the defeat however is the injury to another key man, with Esan Marsters being the latest Bulls man to fall to injury.
Marsters’ blow was one of many key talking points to come from this game, as Trinity secured their fifth Super League win in a row.
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Wakefield Trinity v Bradford Bulls talking points
Trinity fire out of the blocks:
Daryl Powell’s side started the game in sensational form, crossing for four tries in the opening half an hour.
Much of that dominance came from their pack, with starting props Mike McMeeken and Tray Lolesio making their presence felt.
You could argue that Wakefield probably should have been further in front by that point. Seth Nikotemo couldn’t quite pounce on a ball in the in-goal area, whilst Jack Sinfield had a try ruled out and Johnstone was tackled into touch close to the line.
Another Bulls injury:
Bradford’s horrid luck with injuries unfortunately continued into this week with Esan Marsters the latest to go down.
The centre was hit with what looked to be an ankle injury, and the former Salford man looked in some pain as he limped off the field.
There has been no word yet on how bad that knock is, but boss Kurt Haggerty will be asked about that knock in his post-match press conference.
Spine shuffles:
Both sides made changes to their spines this week, with Trinity choosing Jack Sinfield in the halves over Mason Lino, Josh Rourke over Max Jowitt and Harvey Smith started the game instead of Tyson Smoothy.
The Wakefield playmakers combined incredibly well, with Sinfield, Jake Trueman and Josh Rourke all bagging assists.
Bradford paired Chris Atkin and Joe Mellor in their six and seven positions, and their lack of experience in playing together showed as the makeshift halves couldn’t quite connect as well as the Bulls would have hoped.
Terrific Tom Johnstone:
There aren’t many better wingers to watch than a Tom Johnstone who is on top form.
His 18-minute hat-trick got Trinity off to a brilliant start, and as mentioned he could have had another before the first half was over.
He made up for his missed opportunity in the second half as he got over for a fourth thanks to a delicate kick from Rourke.
The England international now has six tries in four matches after missing the start of the year through injury, but it’s not just his put-downs that make him so influential, but his yardage carries are so important in getting Trinity on the front foot early in the set.
Are Wakefield contenders?
Securing their fifth Super League victory in a row, Wakefield keep their place as joint-top of the table.
A slow start saw them suffer early round defeats to Toulouse and Warrington, but since then they have found their stride and are proving a match for every team in the competition.
The club are looking to go back-to-back in terms of play-off appearances, and their form of late suggests they will certainly do that and some.
Where next for Bradford?
Suffering their fifth defeat in six matches, Bradford seem to have joined Toulouse and York in hitting a roadblock in Super League.
Three wins from eight is still a solid start to the new division, but with injuries mounting and another potential blow in Marsters, it begs the question how the Bulls can react from this.
With games coming against Hull KR, Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves in May, Kurt Haggerty’s men will have to find some sort of response if they want to pick up any points in the next few weeks.
