Wakefield Trinity 12-13 St Helens: Highlights, player ratings and talking points

Wakefield Trinity took on St Helens this afternoon at Belle Vue as the home side ran out for the first time in front of a demolished East Stand.

If you were watching this game, you would have been forgiven in thinking that Wakefield were the team in form as they raced into a 10-0 lead from which the reigning champions had no answer to in the first-half.

Mason Lino kicked another penalty goal early on in the second forty minutes to make it 12-0, but Regan Grace replied on 55 minutes to finally breach the Wakefield line.

Jon Bennison notched a second for Saints with 13 minutes to go, and, with Jonny Lomax’s superb touchline conversion, the visitors were back level at 12-12.

Three drop goals were missed by Saints and one by Jacob Miller as the two teams went into golden point to decide such a bizarre game.

Lino missed his first attempt before Jack Welsby slotted over the winner to break Trinity hearts.

Highlights

The rain stopping in the first-half so a game of rugby could break out.

Jorge Taufua’s first try in Wakefield colours was a great finish.

A ferocious four-man tackle on Saints’ Agnatius Paasi saw the forward lose the ball over the line.

Jack Welsby slotting over the winning one-pointer.

Talking points

1. Weathering the storm

It resembled a swimming pool at kick-off with the rain hurtling down, but Wakefield certainly made the better of it, appearing calm and collected in the horrific weather. Saints, meanwhile, looked as they just couldn’t get going in the first-half with steely Trinity defence keeping the visitors out.

2. Fighting the fight

Wakefield are not going to get relegated without a major fight and they were in tremendous form against the reigning champions, taking the visitors all the way in one of the most exhilarating Wakefield performances of the year.

3. A new Tom Johnstone

Wakefield may have seen Tom Johnstone leave for Catalans Dragons in 2023, but they have a ready-made replacement in Lewis Murphy. The winger has been in tremendous form recently with some big runs out of defence and some explosive reads in defence.

4. Golden point misery

It may add to the excitement, but golden point just destroys what could have been a superb draw. Effectively, golden point is the fight to get to good field position for a drop goal. Wakefield were incredible in defeat, but lost a point due to a rule that surely needs to be looked at.

Player ratings

Wakefield Trinity

38 Jamie Shaul – 8
40 Jorge Taufua – 7
20 Jack Croft – 7
17 Lee Gaskell – 8
27 Lewis Murphy – 7
6 Jacob Miller – 7
7 Mason Lino – 6
15 Jai Whitbread – 7
9 Liam Hood – 6
10 Tinirau Arona – 7
11 Matty Ashurst – 6
12 Kelepi Tanginoa – 8
16 James Batchelor -7
Substitutes
8 Eddie Battye – 8
14 Jordy Crowther – 6
35 David Fifita – 7
37 Josh Bowden – 6
Also in 21-man squad
18 Lee Kershaw
21 Brad Walker
30 Corey Hall
36 Kyle Evans

St Helens

1 Jack Welsby – 8
27 Jon Bennison – 7
23 Konrad Hurrell – 8
22 Ben Davies – 7
5 Regan Grace – 7
6 Jonny Lomax – 8
9 James Roby – 7
8 Alex Walmsley – 7
14 Joey Lussick – 6
10 Matty Lees – 6
16 Curtis Sironen – 6
12 Joe Batchelor – 6
19 Jake Wingfield – 6
Substitutes
15 LMS – 6
17 Agnatius Paasi – 5
20 James Bell – 7
24 Dan Norman – 6
Also in 21-man squad
28 Lewis Baxter
29 Dan Hill
31 Taylor Pemberton
34 George Delaney