Wakefield Trinity 24 Catalans Dragons 38: Tom Johnstone comes back to haunt old club as hosts miss opportunity

Trinity taught the winger everything he knows and he came back to haunt his old club with a hat-trick on his return with Catalans Dragons in round one.

Johnstone scored 87 tries in 115 games for Wakefield but he spent much of his final four years at the club on the sidelines.

In his first outing for Super League Grand Final hopefuls Catalans, Johnstone looked fit, strong and as clinical as ever.

Wakefield played their part in an entertaining contest but lost the crucial moments and ultimately paid the price for an error-strewn display.

It can only be viewed as a missed opportunity for Trinity against a Dragons outfit missing eight first-teamers, including Sam Tomkins, Mitchell Pearce and Siosiua Taukeiaho.

Applegarth could have been forgiven for thinking the stars had aligned on his Super League bow but Wakefield had not beaten Catalans in 10 attempts and there was enough quality in the away side to extend that record, with their kicking game the difference.

For a long time, Trinity were in the game after a cagey start.

The contest came to life in the ninth minute thanks to a classy piece of play by Mason Lino, the half-back engaging the Catalans defenders before finding Max Jowitt who raced over under the posts.

Wakefield had a measure of control as the match passed the 20-minute mark but in a flash they found themselves behind.

A misjudgement by Lewis Murphy from a kick in behind allowed Tom Davies to tap the ball back for Matthieu Laguerre to score before Johnstone took centre stage.

The 27-year-old was a bystander in the first quarter but a good winger only needs one opportunity.

Adam Keighran had time to weigh up his options after exchanging passes with Paul Seguier and opted to kick in behind the Wakefield defence, giving Johnstone the chance to beat Tom Lineham in a foot race and touch down in front of the Trinity fans that chanted his name for so long.

Keighran added his first conversion to make it 10-6 but back came the home side.

Manu Ma'u's error just outside his own 20 gave Wakefield perfect field position and they made the former Hull FC forward pay.

Jai Whitbread put the Dragons on the back foot with a strong carry and a quick play the ball and Corey Hall – just on in the second row – did the rest after taking a pass off the ruck.

An increasingly watchable game took another turn as half-time approached, Johnstone rising highest to score a second from Cesar Rouge's cross-field kick.

The reaction of the Trinity fans suggested that a video referee would have had a different interpretation to the on-field officials but the try stood and Catalans went into the break with a 16-12 lead.

There was a sense Johnstone was not done yet and so it proved.

Minutes into the second half, the former Wakefield star had a hat-trick after juggling Keighran's long pass to race over in the corner.

Keighran missed the touchline conversion to limit the damage and Trinity had a lifeline when Johnstone blotted his copybook with an error on his own 20.

In the next set, Lino jinked his way close to the line before putting new captain Matty Ashurst over.

Lino added the extras to bring Wakefield back to within two points of their visitors but just when they looked to have the momentum, they let their grip slip.

A series of sloppy errors allowed Catalans to set up camp inside the Trinity 20 and they eventually found a way through as Davies scooped up Laguerre's scruffy offload to score in the corner.

There was no way back for Wakefield when Keighran tagged on the extras, with Davies' second from Arthur Mourgue's kick in behind rubbing salt into the wounds.

Lee Gaskell scored from a short restart but Rouge had the last word when he picked off Jay Pitts' pass to race over.

Wakefield Trinity: Jowitt, Lineham, Lyne, Langi, Murphy, Gaskell, Lino, Whitbread, Smith, Atoni, Pitts, Ashurst, Proctor.

Substitutes: Kay, Battye, Butler, Hall.

Catalans Dragons: Mourgue, Davies, Whitley, Laguerre, Johnstone, Keighran, Rouge, Navarette, McIlorum, Bousquet, Ma'u, Seguier, Garcia.

Substitutes: Dezaria, Goudemand, Chan, Zenon.

Referee: Tom Grant.