'Fighting chance': Wakefield Trinity boss Mark Applegarth expresses pride after boosting survival bid

Trinity defied a lengthy list of absentees and Hugo Salabio's 45th-minute red card to stun the Rhinos at a baking hot Belle Vue.

A first victory since last August takes Wakefield to within four points of second-bottom Castleford Tigers with 12 rounds remaining.

For Applegarth, it was 16th time lucky as a head coach after a miserable start to his tenure.

"I've said all along that it's not about me, it's about the team," he said.

"I'm just really chuffed. People have been questioning the team spirit behind the scenes and I think they've answered quite a few questions.

"They're a real together bunch. We've done it tough. The most pleasing thing is we've given ourselves a fighting chance.

"Personally, it's nice to get that first win. It's never nice when you've had a prolonged period like that.

"They dug in. I'm a proud coach. It gets the money off our back."

Applegarth has been under intense pressure ever since replacing Willie Poching in the Belle Vue hot seat at the end of last season.

Super League's youngest head coach admits it has been a testing period for him and his family.

"I've got a lot of good people around me," added Applegarth.

"It wasn't me that I was worried about because it comes with the territory when you sign up for a job like this.

"It was more my family. I can stomach some of the things that gets wrriten about me but when my wife has to read abuse, it's more them that I was worried about."

Wakefield scored the opening try for the first time since round one through Jack Croft but appeared to be on course for their 16th straight defeat after Salabio was sent off for a wild spear tackle on Richie Myler.

Applegarth had no complaints about the decision.

"It was a red," he said. "There's no question about it.

"I don't think there was any malice in it whatsoever and fair play to Richie for getting straight back up.

"I don't think there was any intent but there were no qualms from us. It was a deserved red card."

A sixth defeat in seven games leaves the Rhinos six points off the pace in the battle for the play-offs.

Leeds boss Rohan Smith cut a dejected figure in the aftermath of a chastening loss but is not giving up hope of emulating last year's run to the Grand Final.

“It’s a huge disappointment,” said Smith.

“Today it was unforced errors in open space that let us down. We made quite a few inroads in that second half but didn’t finish them off. We’ll change things and improve, a lot.

“We just didn’t play well enough. Collectively and individually we were nowhere near the standard. There’s a lot of hurt and disappointment both for me personally and in the dressing room. It’s not close to the standard so we’ve got to find it quick.

“We can choose to fight or we can choose to tap out now. There’s only one solution – and that is to fight.”