Day two of a magical weekend saw the mouthwatering prospect of the clash of two Super Leagues two form teams. Wakefield Trinity Wildcats had the chance to go back into sixth spot but the bookies favourites were the Catalans Dragons who had a chance to go two points clear atop the top of the table.
Both of these sides have shown fantastic form over recent weeks with the Catalans registering nine wins in their last ten outings in all competitions, while Wakefield have won eight in their last nine games.
The Newcastle stage was set for a belter.
No quarter was asked or given in the opening seventeen minutes. Aggressive defences thwarted inventive attacks as two sides, both determines to win, locked horns.
After a period of intense Dragons pressure it was finally Justin Horo who broke the deadlock and the line and grounded the ball off a Todd Carney miss out pass. Pat Richards skewed the conversion wide.
Brilliant hands on twenty-four saw Jodie Broughton cross on the overlap wide right to double the Dragons score after Danny Kirmond had gifted position with a high tackle. Richards again failed to add the conversion, pushing his kick right of the uprights.
Inside two minutes and it was 12-0 when Wakefield failed to shepherd a Thomas Bosc kick dead in goal, allowing Tony Gigot to get a hand on it to score. This time Richards converted to extend the lead to fourteen. Three tries in eight minutes had seen Catalans take control of the game.
The Wakefield fightback started on thirty-two when Ben Jones-Bishop picked up a ball, fumbled by Vincent Duport, and went fifty metres down the touchline. Liam Finn added the extras to reduce the arrears to eight at 14-6.
Wakefield carried on the second half where they'd left off the first with a spectacular flying try from Ben Jones-Bishop grounding in the corner while airborne above the touchline. Finn converted from the touchline for 12-14.
On fifty minutes the Wildcats hit the front when Mikey Sio crashed over from five metres off a Jacob Miller short pass to score under the sticks and give Finn a simple conversion for 18-14 and an amazing turnaround.
On their next attack the Dragons got their first points in half an hour when Vincent Duport used his strength to carry two Wildcats defenders over the line with him. Richards was on target from wide to edge his side back into the lead at 20-18.
The lead was extended on the hour mark when Jodie Broughton got his second of the afternoon off a long Todd Carney pass, grounding by the corner flag giving Richards a touchline conversion which he failed to add.
Wakefield then laid siege to the Dragons line, and with nine minutes left on the clock Mickael Simon found his way over close to the uprights allowing Finn to convert and level the scores at 24-24.
Finn missed a drop goal on seventy-four, and when Simon stole the ball from Gregory Mounis on the Wakefield thirty metre line, Pat Richards uncharacteristically hit the upright and a chance to snatch the lead.
Three minutes from time and Jacob Miller kicked a sensational fifty metre drop goal for a 25-24 Wildcats lead for an incredible victory to keep the Dragons off top spot, and push his side back above Castleford into sixth.
This was a humdinger of a game played at high speed and with high intensity. The opening Sunday fixture has traditionally been a 'non-event' but this was the best of the weekend so far. A quality game, with some great tries, and fantastic defensive effort from both sides.
Dragons: Gigot (T), Broughton (2T), Horo (T), Duport (T), Richards (2G), Carney, Bosc, Taylor, Pelissier, Casty, Stewart, Anderson, Baitieri. Subs: Casty, Mounis, Mason, Da Costa.
Wildcats: Jowitt, Jones-Bishop (2T), Hall, Arundel, Johnstone, Miller (DG), Finn (4G), Scruton, Sio (T), Simon (T), Ashurst, Kirmond, Tupou A. Subs: Tupou B, Arona, Anderson, Annakin.
Referee: Chris Campbell.
Attendance:
|