York Knights head coach Mark Applegarth has revealed the injury cost to his side after their Super League round six loss to Wakefield Trinity.
Despite controlling possession for large periods of the game, it was Wakefield who came out on top as they won 26-14 at the LNER Community Stadium with Trinity extending their winning run to four matches.
York will rue their wasted possession and territory but head coach Mark Applegarth was positive about his side’s performance, hailing the effort whilst also praising Wakefield for their defensive resolve.
Speaking post-match to Sky Sports, he said: “Unfortunately, that’s sport, isn’t it? Listen, I feel like I’ve broken a record now, I’m really proud of the spirit and the effort that we showed.
“I think the injuries, you’re probably right, hurt but you’ve got to give credit to Wakefield there too. They’ve withheld quite a lot of pressure that we put on them, and then showed their quality by capitalising it on it at the end.
“Yeah, disappointed and I’ll have a disappointed set of lads there and they’ll sting, but I can’t fault anyone for effort and spirit. It’s them smarts we talk about.”
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York Knights boss confirms double injury blow
Those injuries that he referenced were to two key players with Sam Wood and Toa Mata’afa both leaving the field inside the final 15 minutes, with Mata’afa’s exit coming when York Knights were just 16-14 down.
Suggested to him that Mata’afa had suffered a dislocated elbow, Applegarth confirmed that to be the case before revealing a fracture suffered by Wood.
He said: “Yeah, you’re bang on. It’s a dislocated elbow. He’s in good spirit, so I’ll see what the doctors say when we get in.
“Then Woody’s got a compound fracture in his hand or finger, I couldn’t quite understand what they were saying at the time, it’s definitely a compound fracture, so we’ll have to see,
“It’s a costly game but that’s life, isn’t it? We’ll dust ourselves down, and we’ll get ready for another tough game next week.”
They could be very costly injury blows with the pair being among the Knights’ best players so far in 2026, particularly Mata’afa who is yet another full-back to go down injured.
A brilliant second half secures a solid win for Wakefield Trinity! 👏 pic.twitter.com/R9w2sHJrjK
— Sky Sports Rugby League (@SkySportsRL) March 27, 2026
