Goole Vikings head coach Scott Taylor remains positive, despite his side’s 82-0 loss to Wakefield Trinity on Saturday in the third round of the Challenge Cup.
The tie saw the Vikings concede 15 tries as Wakefield showed up with a strong squad, featuring new faces and some returning ones too, including Tom Johnstone and Mike McMeeken.
Vikings fans got a glimpse at their own new signings with loanee hooker Lennie Ellie from Hull KR on the bench as well as a first appearance for Manoa Wacokecoke, after missing the previous round due to army service.
Speaking to the press post-match, Taylor said: “I’m proud of the boys. They kept going and kept turning up for each other.
“Wakefield are a very good team, and we knew it was going to be a tough challenge especially with them being a Super League full-time team.”
During the match, the Vikings lost prop Jack Aldous to a serious arm injury as well as Thomas Minns’ sin bin after just 15 minutes.
Taylor continued: “We draw a line under it, we learn from it, and we attack the rest of the season with our heads up.”
Prior to this tie, Goole have had a tough start to their season, after losing to Featherstone 46-6 in a pre-season friendly before beating London 17-10 away in the second round of the Challenge Cup.
Taylor said: “We probably won’t face a tougher challenge for the rest of the season, so hopefully it’s given us a good platform to build.”
After Goole Vikings’ loss, their season doesn’t get any easier as they face North Wales Crusaders at home in the preliminary round of the 1895 Cup next Sunday (16th) before starting their League 1 campaign against Midlands Hurricanes on the 23rd.
With Jeylan Hodgson’s six-week suspension, the Vikings have also added Ryan Wright for the 2025 season to help cover at hooker, who spent last season playing for Great Britain Teachers, where Vikings assistant Kevin Marshall was his head coach.
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