Wakefield became only the second side to defeat St Helens this season and ended a five-match losing run to reaffirm their credentials as potential play-off contenders in 2018.
Trinity’s three defeats over Easter came by a combined losing margin of eight points and, despite genuine top-four ambitions, they have tumbled down the Super League table. So this first win in more than a month was timely, though not straightforward.
Having led 22-6 midway through the first half, Trinity added only two more points in the final hour – via a penalty from the boot of Liam Finn, the scrum-half who epitomised the team’s endeavours by playing with a broken finger.
Yet, despite an enormous amount of late pressure from the visitors, Wakefield somehow hung on to leave their coach, Chris Chester, relieved. “I think I aged about 10 years in that last five minutes, but it’s a huge result for the club,” he said.
“We’ve been there or thereabouts for the last five games and it’s nice to win a tight one today. I feel we deserve it and it will do the players a world of good. I’m really pleased. It means I can sleep a bit better tonight.”
St Helens remain at the top of the Super League table but their lead has been cut to two points. They rallied well here to reduce the deficit to two points before Finn’s nerve-calming penalty – and while it has become traditional for the Saints to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in recent years, this was not one of those occasions.
Mark Percival initially broke the deadlock after two minutes and Wakefield responded superbly, scoring 22 points in a blistering 17-minute passage to put them comfortably ahead. By half-time, though, Percival’s second and a further try from Tommy Makinson made it 22-14.
The league leaders continued to improve in the second half and Luke Douglas reduced the deficit further seven minutes after the break. But a sustained period of pressure thereafter came to nothing, thanks largely to some magnificent Trinity defence.
Justin Holbrook, the St Helens, coach, said: “I was disappointed with our effort today. It was a close game but we couldn’t come away with the win. Full credit to Wakefield. I thought they just worked harder than us.”
