Wakefield Trinity’s “unbelievable effort” helps offset ‘thrown-away’ result for coach Chester

Rhinos’ 20-18 victory at Mobile Rocket Stadium, Belle Vue, ended Trinity’s three-match winning run, in their fourth game in 11 days.

Wakefield beat the same opposition 30-6 in St Helens three days earlier and Chester reckoned they should have doubled up, but admitted he couldn’t be too down on his side after their recent schedule.

“We threw it away,” Chester said after seeing Rhyse Martin’s conversion of a 68th-minute Brad Dwyer try win the game for Leeds, who had trailed 12-6 and 18-14.

“We did a lot of good work in the first half and the frustrating part is we didn’t really make them work hard for any of their tries.

“The first try comes off a kick that goes dead, the second try came from an off-load and they went full-length and the Dwyer one really took some sting out of us. But, considering what both clubs have been through, I thought it was a great effort from both teams.”

Chester added: “I thought Leeds were good; they probably just edged it.

“We had no field position in the second half.”

Reflecting on what his team have done since the win over Huddersfield Giants on October 22, Chester said: “It has been an unbelievable effort and I have got to credit Leeds as well - they’ve been to a Challenge Cup final and not really had any time off.

“It has been challenging for both teams.

“I thought it was a game that lacked any real quality, but there were two teams who wanted to have a dig and work hard for each other and we just came up short.”

Trinity had a late opportunity to send the game into golden point extra-time through a kickable penalty, but opted to go for a try and the chance was lost.

“We probably could have had a crack at goal there, with two-and-a-half minutes to go, but that’s the confidence this group has got at the moment,” Chester said.

“They felt they could go and win the game.

“Overall, obviously I am disappointed with the result, but pleased with some of the efforts and what we’ve been able to do in terms of blooding some youngsters and giving some other people some game time.”

Eighteen-year-old hooker Harry Bowes seemed to have scored a try on his debut in the second half, but referee Marcus Griffiths ruled he was tackled short of the line. Chester admitted: “If that had been a Sky game, it would have gone up [to the video referee] for a double-movement.”

But he said: “I thought Harry was fantastic.

“He has only had a couple of weeks with us and he is a real ball of energy through the middle.

“He was feeling it towards the back end of his stint, but I think the future looks pretty bright. We had young Yusuf Aydin out there and Crofty [Jack Croft] and Lee Kershaw as well as Harry and I was really impressed with how they applied themselves.”

Super League clubs will consider tomorrow whether to end the regular season early and go straight to an expanded play-offs series.

Trinity, who have two fixtures still to play, are due to face Challenge Cup runners-up Salford Red Devils at Emerald Headingley on Friday.

Chester said: “We’ll wait and see what the powers that be, the decision-makers, have to say.

“We will come in as normal [tomorrow] and prepare for that game.”