Hull KR 44 Wakefield Trinity 18: Wakefield slump to heavy loss as Rovers impress

As they shipped three tries in just 11 minutes before the break yesterday, to go from 12-0 up to 16-12 down, you sensed head coach Craig Sandercock’s exit from MS3 Craven Park was looming ever closer.

England chief Steve McNamara is reportedly being lined up for next year and there was speculation Rovers, who had lost four of their last five games, might even dismiss the Australian before Magic Weekend if things did not go accordingly here.

Yet in turning around this fixture so emphatically – after trailing 18-16 at half-time they responded with 28 unanswered points against Wakefield – Sandercock’s side showed an encouraging glimpse of their real potential.

There has never been any denying their attacking talent as was clearly demonstrated again here with on-loan Huddersfield Giants winger Luke George, the industrious Rhys Lovegrove and Graeme Horne – who was particularly effective – all helping themselves to try doubles.

It has been their defensive frailties that have so often proved destructive but they remedied that quickly to secure a much-needed win that sent them back into the top eight.

Sandercock, who will speak to Huddersfield this morning about extending George’s loan spell for Saturday’s derby with Hull FC, was suitably pleased but conceded the situation around his own future remains disturbing.

Chairman Neil Hudgell said last week a decision would be made about the coach’s future in the “next few weeks” which only served to intensify speculation.

“It is a little bit stressful, I can’t lie,” said Sandercock, whose current deal expires at the end of the season.

“But I’m employed to do a job, I work seven days a week and as hard as I can.

“That’s all I can do. It’s outside of my control.

“I’m here for the players. They’re more important than me and they’re responding well.

“We haven’t been as bad as you guys have been saying and we knew if we could be a bit more disciplined and control the ball a bit better we’d be in with a chance today.”

He admitted preventing Wakefield from scoring in that second period was the most pleasing aspect for him.

The visitors, ravaged by ill-discipline and poor ball control, were barely even allowed to get in Rovers’ half let alone pose any threat.

The performance of rampaging Tongan prop Mickey Paea set the platform, though, as his continuing surging tore holes into Wakefield’s tiring pack both before and after Craig Hall’s 47th-minute try had regained the lead.

That vital score came from an unlikely assist, the left boot of second-row Horne who chipped a delicate kick into his full-back’s arms after being unexpectedly found in possession on the last tackle.

Dobson’s conversion made it 22-18 and then, when Trinity scrum-half Tim Smith bizarrely kicked away possession on the second tackle in a rare attacking chance, Rovers struck again through George’s second after some slick handling.

And the disappointing visitors, who would have leapfrogged their opponents with victory, had no response.

Admittedly, they did miss the input of injured stand-off Paul Sykes and Ali Lauitiiti, who pulled up with a heel injury on the eve of the game, but there was little excuse for the capitulation which saw Lovegrove (twice) and Con Mika easily get over for further tries.

Rovers had built up a 12-0 lead by the 18th minute through tries from Horne and George while Wakefield – who started brightly with Dean Collis particularly potent – had already lost ex-Hull KR winger Peter Fox to a head injury that required eight stitches.

But things are never that simple with Sandercock’s side.

The signs were there when they were opened far too easily out wide by Tim Smith’s long pass for Collis to surge to the corner in the 24th minute.

The visitors scored in the next set, too, when Kyle Wood attacked the other side and linked with Vince Mellars who put Ben Cockayne in.

It was sharp passing from Richard Agar’s side but still seemed so, so simple.

The third of that blitz, however, was shambolic as winger Lee Smith cut infield to beat three defenders from a standing start.

If Rovers, who dropped enigmatic full-back Greg Eden, can eradicate such spells of inertia and abysmal defence for 80 minutes they could certainly still prosper this term.

They struck back through Horne’s second try on 37 minutes only to further infuriate the home support by somehow allowing the restart to bounce into touch.

Soon after, Lee Smith duly slotted a penalty to his earlier two conversions to give his side that 18-16 advantage, but revitalised Rovers regained the initiative with the opportunist try from Hall after a break from Liam Salter and, with Dobson finishing with six goals, never looked back.

“We’ve never knocked on as much for a long time and our discipline let us down,” said disgruntled Wakefield coach Agar.

“I thought we weren’t prepared to play tough enough in that second half.

“We’re still in touch of the top eight but if we keep putting in performances like that our season will only go one way. We need to show more grit.”

Hull KR: Hall; Brown, Salter, Welham, George; Burns, Dobson; Griffin, J Hodgson, Paea, Horne, Lovegrove, Mika. Substitutes: Withers, Cox, Beaumont, Walker.

Wakefield: Mathers; Fox, Collis, L Smith, Cockayne; Wood, T Smith; Poore, Aiton, Raleigh, Mellars, Kirmond, Washbrook. Substitutes: Amor, Wilkes, Molloy, Annakin.

Referee: J Child (Dewsbury).