Wakefield suffer double blow at Headingley

Wakefield have suffered a double injury blow at Leeds Rhinos.

In second half, Lee Gaskell hasn’t returned with Morgan Smith moving into the halves.

Then Samisoni Langi has been helped from the field after a nasty head knock.

The centre chased a kick from Mason Lino looking to smash Richie Myler. He tackled the Leeds fullback before he caught the ball so it was a Rhinos penalty but Langi was helped off after he got himself too low and collided with Myler’s knees.

In his absence, David Fusitu’a opened the scoring shortly after the incident but Wakefield will say they could have had a penalty for a late hit on Mason Lino in the same play.

Earlier in the game, the Rhinos themselves suffered a key loss.

It was a strange incident with the injury occurring after a Jay Pitts break as Handley darted back to cover.

However, after Pitts had made 15-20 metres, the play was called back after referee Ben Thaler had missed a forward pass but was alerted to the pass by his touch judge.

Had the forward pass been picked up earlier perhaps the injury wouldn’t have happened.

Initially it looked like his hamstring had gone but the fact he played on perhaps suggests otherwise however he looked in a bad way as he hobbled down the left unable to partake in the Leeds attack.

Eventually James Bentley came on to replace him with Rhyse Martin moving to centre.

Bentley himself is back from injury but it is interesting that a fellow returnee in the shape of star centre Harry Newman wasn’t brought on as his replacement.