There is never, in the first round of Super League matches, a great deal to be learned of a side’s potential over the next eight months but in atrocious conditions here anyone eyeing up lessons to be learned will have found it almost impossible.
Perhaps it was fitting that in Wakefield’s first official game since reverting to their old Trinity moniker, there were conditions reminiscent of the club’s glory days in the years of winter rugby league: mud, rain and driving wind aplenty. Early-season games are often dictated by defensive arm-wrestles, with attacks yet to hit full-flow, and this was definitely not a match for the purists.
Not that Hull will mind. Time will tell how important this victory proves come the end of the season but after their battle to secure victory via Jake Connor’s late try two points of this nature will be gratefully pocketed. irrespective of the time of the year.
“We have these conditions all the time in Hull so we’d pre-run how we wanted to play it,” joked the Hull coach, Lee Radford. “We said pre-game that we’d be scoring from kicks and to take our chances from penalties, so for them to listen to that and not chase the game was good. If they listen to the coach like that all year, I’ll be a happy man.”
That there were only two tries – one for each team – illustrated how difficult an afternoon it was for fast, free-flowing rugby league. Wakefield had spent the majority of the second half holding on after Scott Grix’s opportunistic try put them in front four minutes after the break but they were ultimately denied after Marc Sneyd’s well-weighted kick was palmed down by Connor 12 minutes from time.
It is difficult to know what to expect from Wakefield this year. Arguably the competition’s surprise package after a top-eight finish last season, they have been tipped for another season of struggle. But under Chris Chester, Wakefield appear to have the same fighting spirit they showed last season, when they made it to the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup.
One game is certainly not enough evidence for definitive conclusions but the signs look promising. Had Grix touched down his own kick in a frantic final 60 seconds, the result would surely have been different.
So there were reasons to be cheerful for Chester afterwards. “I’ve learned a lot about my players because last year, when I came here, we’d have lost that by 20 or 30 points,” he said. “I’m proud of the performance and I think both teams need commending for doing as well as they did in atrocious conditions.”
Radford’s pre-game philosophy was fully evident by the time Hull had ground out a 6-0 lead after the opening quarter, courtesy of three penalties from the boot of Sneyd, and in a game of few chances the difficulty of the conditions was underlined by the fact that Wakefield’s only retort in the opening 40 was a penalty from Sam Williams.
As the mudbath worsened in the opening exchanges of the second half Grix’s clever kick through to touch down and put Wakefield ahead appeared pivotal, with Hull spurning chance after chance with ball in hand. However, Connor’s finish put Hull back in front and, despite Wakefield coming desperately close in the final moments, Hull held on.
Wakefield Grix; Jones-Bishop, Lyne, Tupou, Johnstone; Miller, Williams; England, Finn, Huby, Ashurst, Kirmond, Sio. Interchange Wood, Arona, Fifita, Walker.
Try Grix. Goal Williams.
Hull FC Shaul; Fonua, Tuimavave, Griffin, Talanoa; Kelly, Sneyd; Taylor, Houghton, Watts, Manu, Minichiello, Ellis. Interchange Connor, Green, Thompson, Washbrook.
Try Connor. Goals Sneyd 4.
Referee C Campbell. Attendance 7,027.
