Wakefield Trinity 38 Leeds Rhinos 18: Wakefield triumph as Webb punished for errors

Richard Agar’s 11th-placed side, fresh from defeating Huddersfield Giants, followed up by ending the Super League champions’ six-game winning run with a quality performance rich in character, intensity and no little skill.

Benefiting from some outstanding forward efforts by Andy Raleigh and ex-Leeds prop Kyle Amor, with Paul Sykes and Tim Smith offering the invention and replacement hooker Kyle Wood some zip just when they required it most, Wakefield were deserving winners of this West Yorkshire derby.

Mistake-ridden Leeds, who handed a debut to 22-year-old German international and ex-Otley RU centre Jimmy Keinhorst, were missing four players who are likely to face Warrington Wolves in the Challenge Cup final.

But some of their regular performers endured off-nights, not least Brent Webb who made his return from a six-week injury absence with coach Brian McDermott keen to get him some game time.

The Kiwi was hauled off, though, after an error-prone 28 minutes which had been a significant reason behind his side trailing 18-4 at the break.

Webb, who defended at full-back but attacked as a stand-off, was put on report after only three minutes for a shuddering collision with Danny Kirmond after the first of numerous Wakefield breaks.

Kirmond kicked ahead and then Webb – albeit committed to the challenge – seemed to catch the Trinity captain high.

Then, after Andy Ellis was held up burrowing over, he got caught ambling back for a kick and put Ryan Hall in an awful position behind his own line to concede a drop-out.

From there, Wakefield deservedly took the lead when prop Raleigh, in his 250th career appearance, showed neat footwork before stretching over between the posts for Sykes to convert.

Later, Webb let a steepling Tim Smith kick bounce just in front of the posts and could only watch on as Ellis picked up the loose pieces to touch down. Fortunately for the 31-year-old, Silverwood ruled the unfortunate Trinity man had been offside.

However, when Webb was penalised while in possession – a cardinal sin – there was no reprieve. He had petulantly grabbed hold of a Trinity player while playing the ball and, from that indiscretion, the determined hosts secured their second try, Sykes throwing a dummy and slicing through some timid defence.

As the stand-off converted his own score, Webb was making his way to the bench not to be seen again.

He had been unfortunate to have a score ruled out in the 12th minute, video referee Ben Thaler deeming an obstruction as Hall broke clear, but it is unlikely McDermott will shift Hardaker from full-back again.

Bizarrely, after conceding that penalty, Leeds actually scored as Stevie Ward intercepted Tim Smith’s pass and raced 50m before showing great awareness to thread a brilliant pass through the advancing defenders for Kallum Watkins to finish.

Sinfield could not improve and, when the Leeds captain sailed his restart dead after Sykes’s try, buoyant Wakefield were in again.

Tim Smith’s smart pass found Sykes and he brilliantly put Kirmond through a gaping hole.

Sykes’s conversion made it 18-4 and Wakefield – who had already seen Frankie Mariano spill trying to touch down a Tim Smith grubber – had further chances.

Richard Mathers, one of four ex-Rhinos players in their side, broke up the middle all too easily as did the excellent prop Paul Johnson only for Sykes to drop the final pass.

It looked like it might cost them as Leeds started the second period brightly.

After Trinity prop Oliver Wilkes was put on report for a heavy challenge on Rob Burrow, Leeds responded when Hall leapt to collect Sinfield’s crossfield kick in the 45th minute although his captain could not convert.

However, the duo performed the same trick again immediately afterwards as Hall this time beat Mathers to the falling ball and Sinfield’s conversion – his only success from four – made it 18-14.

Wakefield scored a quality try though when Wood – the diminutive hooker who has sparked so many of their best moments of late – made a darting midfield break and, though Amor was felled just short by Jamie Jones-Buchanan, Sykes swiftly moved the ball left where Danny Washbrook finished.

Sykes added the extras before Wood extended their lead when he crossed on the hour mark courtesy of some fine off-loading from Amor and Raleigh. Hall completed his hat-trick 10 minutes from time but Dean Collis and Peter Fox deservedly added late tries for the hosts to ram home their obvious advantage.

Wakefield: Mathers; Fox, Collis, Smith, Cockayne; Smith, Sykes; Amor, Ellis, Raleigh, Mariano, Kirmond, Washbrook. Substitutes: Wood, Wilkes, Johnson, Trout.

Leeds: Webb; Jones-Bishop, Watkins, Hardaker, Hall; Ward, Sinfield; Leuluai, Burrow, Peacock, Jones-Buchanan, Hauraki, Kirke. Substitutes: Lunt, Keinhorst, Moore, Griffin.

Referee: R Silverwood (Mirfield).