RESERVES MATCH REPORT | WAKEFIELD TRINITY

Tom Tsang’s reserves did it tough at Laund Hill on Saturday morning, coming away with a marginal 16-12 victory, despite out-scoring their opponents, Wakefield Trinity, four tries to two.

The Giants started in the best possible way as they managed to burrow over within the first 5 minutes. A clean break through the middle by Ethane Wainwright set the platform, before the ball was shipped left. A last ditch tackle from Trinity was in vain as dummy half Thomas Deakin burrowed over.

The lead lasted a mere five minutes however as Trinity caught out the Giants on the left edge, with the ball ending up in the hands of Frenchman Romain Franco to score under the sticks, 6-4 Trinity led.

It would be half an hour before either side over the whitewash again as the game had become a cagey, tactical affair with both sides feeling each other out. A mistake from Trinity gave the giants a scrum on the 20 metre mark, initiating a set play, the ball was shipped wide to Beau Morrison to score in the corner just prior to the half time whistle. 8-6 Giants.

The second half couldn’t have started in more calamitous fashion, as two high bombs from Trinity caused havoc. The first and its movement in the air caused a slip from Oliver Whitford, the bouncing ball ended up in the grasp of a chasing Trinity player to score and regain the lead at 8-12. The second, much like the first, moved with some force in the air. Morrison missed the ball who then clattered into Whitford, with both players leaving the field for HIA’s.

The Giants had to do it tough from there on out, with a reshuffle of the spine a necessity on the back of those head knocks, with Matty Hanley moving to full-back where he was able to showcase his ability in a ball playing role, with his kick returns regaining valuable metres for the Tom Tsang's team. Despite the aforementioned reshuffle, the young reserves dug in, scoring the next and final tries of the game. The first through Darius Carter going over in the right hand corner. The latter, through Jack Billington bullying his way over on the right edge. The Giants now lead 16-12, which is how it stayed, had goal kicking not been a problem, the scoreline could’ve looked a lot more comfortable. 

That wouldn’t have showcased what an arm wrestle this game was however, but the Giants in the end deserved the victory.

Giants: Whitford, Morrison, Carter, Breedon, Hanley, Wainwright, Ward, Donbavand, Deakin, Land, Merta, Billington, Johnson. Bench: Parsons, Atkinson, Siddique, Algar. 18th: Sykes.

Wakefield Trinity: Franco, Delaney, Sinfield, Booth, Stanley, Phillips, Stephenson, Tetley, Easton, Lingard, Law, Wood, McSwiney. Bench: Winks, Toulson, Maher, Briggs. 18th: Sheridan.