Super League: Wakefield Trinity 10-18 Catalans: Dragons keep League Leaders’ Shield hopes alive

Catalans bounced again from back-to-back defeats to keep their League Leaders’ Shield hopes alive and plunge gutsy Wakefield Trinity nearer to relegation.

Tom Johnstone made it six tries in three in opposition to his outdated membership in 2023 to place the Dragons forward, and Adam Keighran crossed off a change play.

Tom Davies dived in on the nook to present Catalans daylight in a tense recreation in sticky situations.

Kelepi Tanginoa and Lee Kershaw crossed for Trinity late on, however too late.

With Castleford Tigers defeating Hull FC and an inferior factors distinction, it will likely be tough for Trinity to dig themselves out of bother – as they’ve on so many events of their 24-year keep within the high tier.

For all that, they confirmed spirit and coronary heart to keep combating regardless of the very fact they knew the percentages had been stacked in opposition to them. However, they did not execute their possibilities and make the most of plenty of drop-outs till Tanginoa powered over and Kershaw intercepted for his strive.

After successive losses in a good race for high spot and a house semi-final within the play-offs, this was a giant win for Catalans to reignite their kind.

Steve McNamara’s aspect had been bolstered by the returning Johnstone, who brilliantly tracked a kick out extensive for the opener, and their precision assault launched Keighran to wrong-foot a sliding defence.

Another testing kick acquired Davies in out extensive, which gave the Dragons a buffer, one which proved key after the house aspect’s late fightback.

Arthur Mourgue limped off for them, whereas Trinity prop David Fifita was withdrawn with dizziness.

Wakefield head coach Mark Applegarth:

“We’ve acquired two video games the place we want Cas to slide up and ensure we’re winners. We will mud ourselves off and prepare for Leigh. We will likely be combating proper to the loss of life.

“It seems like groundhog day – we put within the effort and software once more and it is onerous as a coach to knock anybody for that, however while you boil it down it comes all the way down to these essential moments and positive margins,” he stated.

“It’s the hardest a part of us in the meanwhile. You know you should not be placing in that quantity of effort and coming away with a loss. They usually are not getting their rewards for his or her efforts.

“I have no doubt that team on Friday night will be going out and giving everything, throwing the kitchen sink to get the result. It’s a horrible situation going out there knowing our destiny is not in our hands, but we will be going out and ripping into it.”

Catalans head coach Steve McNamara:

“This is the beginning for us, constructing into the play-offs with the momentum this away victory provides us.

“There’s rather a lot this enjoying group have gone via and the response was good tonight. It wasn’t a whole efficiency, however I believed we dominated the sport and the final 5 minutes tipped the scoreboard.

“Should we have scored more points? Absolutely, but I think you under-estimate coming here against a team that is so desperate. It was a really hard night to come here and get the win in the circumstances.”

Wakefield: Jowitt; Senior, Griffin, Croft, Kershaw; Lino, Gale; Atoni, Hood, Battye, Proctor, Ashurst, Pitts.

Interchanges: Kay, Fifita, Tanginoa, Eseh.

Catalans: Mourgue; Davies, Keighran, Romano, Johnstone; Tomkins, Pearce; McMeeken, McIlorum, Navarrete, Seguier, Whitley, Garcia.

Interchanges: Bousquet, Da Costa, Chan, Ma’u.