Wakefield Trinity boss reacts to dramatic final 10 minutes after last-gasp victory over Huddersfield Giants

Daryl Powell has revealed his first thoughts after his Wakefield Trinity side’s 29-23 victory over Huddersfield Giants.

It was a game that went right down to the wire, and after Jack Sinfield’s drop goal on 71 minutes, all they had to do was hold out.

Former Wakefield man Oliver Russell got Huddersfield back level with a one-pointer of his own, before he then went from hero to zero, as his long ball went straight into the arms of Josh Rourke, who raced away to see out the win.

Powell’s side now sit fourth in the table, and leapfrog St Helens and Hull KR following the conclusion of Super League Round 16.

“It was a weird kind of game,” Powell said to Sky Sports. “It’s blustery, blowy. We started great, I thought our intensity in the first 20 minutes was great, then we conceded a couple of really soft tries.

“I felt like they [Huddersfield] were getting better. They hung in the game and made a real contest of it. I just thought we were a bit loose at times.

Commenting on the final 10 minutes, the boss said: “There’s a massive play from Jack Sinfield to get us a point in front, a massive play from Oli Russell, and I think Rourkey’s just got an ability to pick up little things. They took the odds to him with that ball over the top, a bit of rugby instinct from Rourkey, which he’s great at, and there’s the game.

“I don’t think we played great for large periods, and Huddersfield got after us. It’s a tight game in the end, I think for the neutral, it would have been awesome; for a coach, probably not so much.”

The result not only marks two points, but it’s an sign showing how far they have come. Perhaps last year, a game like that would have ended differently, but this season those tight matches seem to be turning the other way.

“We’ve won a few tight games this year that maybe we could have lost last year,” Powell said. “I think we’ve got to improve. The last couple of games here, we haven’t been fantastic.

“We got beat up a bit by Wigan, and today was a little bit loose, but we’re winning games, we’re chalking it off. We’ve got a few outside backs that, when they come back, it’ll help us a little bit, but I think we’re getting better at certain things.

“I’d like us to be a little bit more consistent, I think that’ll be the big journey for us, every week we know what we’re going to dish up, and at the moment it’s a little bit up and down, so they’re the challenges at the moment.”

Now sitting in fourth, staying in that position at the end of the season would mark Wakefield’s best-ever finish in Super League.

The late, great John Kear guided them to fifth back in 2009, so Powell’s side certainly has the chance to break that club record, something the boss thinks is highly achievable.

“I think so, we’re deep into the season now, but I don’t think anybody’s any closer to knowing who’s going to finish at the top, or who’s going to be in the Grand Final.

“Wigan sort of had a dip this week, they’ve been unbelievable, and I think we have a chance of doing something special, but I just think we’re going to have to get better, and be a little bit more consistent.

“We’re in a great spot, we’ve worked hard to be where we are at the moment, and we’ve got an opportunity, and it’ll be up to us whether we take that or not, and I truly believe that.”