Willie Poching explains Leeds Rhinos loss but decrees that a win “is on its way” as he talks retention distraction

Wakefield succumbed to a seventh successive defeat at Headingley tonight in a must win West Yorkshire derby against Leeds.

It leaves them stranded in 11^th place with Toulouse nipping at their heels after a close defeat to Huddersfield elsewhere tonight.

Despite the defeat, coach Willie Poching felt his side had improved especially defensively: “I thought we made some inroads and some improvements defensively. It became a situation where we had to defend too much on the back of some errors. We made 15 errors in the game, nine of them in our own end.

“Regardless of who you play, it’s too inviting and takes its toll on you the defensive toll and that’s what happened tonight.

“There were some attitudinal switches which weren’t there last week and some of those blokes really hung themselves out.

“If we can improve our ball retention and control and give ourselves opportunities to score, we’ll turn the corner. I’ve a big belief that it’s coming, that it’s on its way.

“There is a bit of, I won’t say second guessing but overthinking.”

A bit moment in the game was the loss of Lee Gaskell to injury who Poching had drafted in at fullback instead of Max Jowitt. Poching believed it help pivot the game away from his side: “It was [a turning point] we trained really well with him at fullback and he was kicking well for us, finding us some repeat sets and chiming in really well.

“Give a big thanks to Thomas Minns. He’s not a fullback. He played there reserve grade last week but he’s a centre so to put him back there, he got tested a couple of times. It was unfortunate for him to go back there but to lose someone of Gaskell’s experience is always costly and it was tonight.”

He gave an update on the fullback’s injury as well:

“He failed a head test. He went to fall on a ball and got a stray knee and has a bit of a lump between his cheek.

He also stated that rumours about player departures cannot be allowed to affect his side.

Tom Johnstone, Mason Lino and Jacob Miller have all been linked with moves away but Poching wants to remain focused on the task at hand: “It goes on and I don’t want to get into it too much but it’s the nature of the game and it’s that time of year.

“We’ll do our best to retain the ones that we want and at the moment it is speculation. Rumours are from outside sources so we can’t let it affect us.”

He did hint that Wakefield are speaking to a few players and are prepared to replace those stars who may leave: “We’re down the line and talking to people. We’ll see when people go, you get the opportunity to replace them. It’s a cycle.”