Wakefield Trinity 30 Warrington 24: Rookie Murphy comes to Trinity’s rescue with ‘world-class tackle’

Trinity equalised four times, but looked set to concede a decisive try when George Williams made a break with the pacy Connor Wrench in support, five minutes from time.

When Wrench got the ball he seemed odds on to score, but Murphy – a 20-year-old in his first season at Super League level – not only managed to make the tackle, but also forced the ball loose.

In the resulting set, Trinity captain Jacob Miller had a drop goal attempt charged down, restarting the tackle count, before Tanginoa crashed over from the same player’s pass and Mason Lino’s conversion completed Wakefield’s third win of the season against Warrington.

Visiting coach Daryl Powell admitted he had been sure Wrench would score.

“It was a world-class tackle, unbelievable,” he said afterwards.

His Wakefield counterpart, Willie Poching, was equally impressed.

He said: “That was a massive play from the young kid.

“In the context of the game and the context of our season, it was huge.

“It will be a massive confidence booster for him and it’s indicative of some of the character we are starting to show and the belief we are starting to harness and go with.”

Warrington went ahead four times and on each occasion, Trinity swiftly hit back.

Daryl Clark crossed from acting-half to give Warrington the lead after 14 minutes, which was the first time they had attacked Trinity’s line.

Five minutes later, the impressive James Batchelor made a break up the middle to put Trinity on the attack and at the end of that set he fell on the ball over Warrington’s line to score after Matty Ashton had dropped Lino’s kick.

Six minutes before the break Lino, with the wind at his back, hoofed a kick out on the full and in the resulting set Gareth Widdop went through a gap from Oliver Holmes’s pass.

Lino made amends with the restart, which bounced into touch.

Wakefield seemed to have wasted the opportunity when a pass went to ground, but Warrington immediately knocked-on to hand the ball back and a peach of a pass by Miller sent Matty Ashurst over. Lino’s second conversion levelled the scores, cancelling out Stefan Ratchford’s two successful 
kicks.

Ratchford improved again when Wrench crossed early in the second half, but Batchelor went in from a fine pass by Lino, who levelled things for the third time with the goal.

Wakefield were attacking close to the visitors’ line with 16 minutes left when Ashton snapped up Jay Pitts’s offload and raced almost the full length of the field to score.

That came very much against the run of play, but Trinity still refused to let their heads drop and hit back when Liam Hood nipped over from acting-half and Lino added the extras to square the scores for the fourth time.

There were less than four minutes remaining on the clock when Tanginoa gave Trinity the lead for the first time, with Lino’s fifth goal completing the scoring.

“They have shown a lot of character and a lot of courage,” said Poching of his men, who ended a seven-game losing run with a golden-point victory over Hull FC in their previous match.

He added: “The most pleasing thing for me was the discipline they showed to stick with the plan.

“In moments this year we’ve gone away from it and tried to do it the easy way, but we are getting an understanding that we are a team that can tough it out and go with some big teams, like we did today.”

He added: “We had some really good performers.

“I thought Kelepi is really starting to find his edge again. He is playing with a smile, playing happy and really destructive.

“I thought James Batchelor was dangerous in the centre position and our middles – the starters and the bench players – all did a really good job.”

Wakefield Trinity: Gaskell, Murphy, Hall, Batchelor, Lineham, Miller, Lino, Fifita, Hood, Whitbread, Ashurst, Pitts, Crowther. Substitutes: Arona, Tanginoa, Battye, Aydin.

Warrington Wolves: Widdop, Wrench, Thewlis, King, Ashton, Ratchford, Williams, Mulhern, D Clark, Cooper, Currie, Holmes, Davis. Substitutes: Philbin, Amor, Walker, Wrench.

Referee: Tom Grant (Leeds).