Wakefield Trinity 4 Leigh Leopards 30: Season hits new low against depleted opponents

Fresh from seeing Castleford Tigers stun Leeds Rhinos in the final game of day one, winless Wakefield had the chance to belatedly break their duck when Ben Reynolds was sent off just before the half-hour mark but they failed to land a meaningful blow on the high-flying Leigh Leopards.

The same could be said of Reynolds whose punch on returning Trinity favourite David Fifita was not worth the punishment that followed.

Fifita, who answered an SOS to return to the club, must be wondering what he has got himself into after witnessing Wakefield's failings first hand.

Leigh were already leading 10-0 by the time the popular forward was introduced in the opening quarter and they never looked like relinquishing their grip on the game, even when they were down to 11 men for a 10-minute period before half-time.

Max Jowitt's late try spared Trinity a sixth nilling of the year but they are six points from safety in Super League following a 14th straight defeat.

After making light work of Wakefield twice in the previous six weeks, the Leopards were the overwhelming favourites and they lived up to their pre-match billing in the early exchanges.

It took Leigh just seven minutes to break the deadlock, Lachlan Lam slicing Trinity open through the middle and finishing out wide.

Wakefield lost Josh Bowden to a head injury and were staring down the barrel of another huge defeat when Robbie Mulhern took a pass from fellow front-rower Tom Amone to coast over under the posts.

Trinity's hopes rested on Fifita's impact off the bench – and it was almost immediate.

The big prop bounded forward with a typically robust carry and attracted extra attention from Reynolds who was guilty of a flop before taking exception to Fifita's response with a punch which was spotted by the officials.

Referee Aaron Moore brandished the red card to leave Leigh down to 12 men for 53 minutes.

Wakefield had a golden opportunity to eat into the 10-0 deficit when Tom Nisbet – drafted in as a late replacement for Kai O'Donnell – was sin-binned for a hip-drop tackle on Jay Pitts.

The back-rower fought through the pain to stay on but Trinity were rudderless against 11 men.

Applegarth's men had two sets on the Leigh line yet never looked like scoring.

When they eventually created an opportunity, Tom Lineham lost the ball reaching for the line.

Half-time was an opportunity for Applegarth to get his message across to his flustered side but there was no change after the restart.

Indeed, Wakefield's season hit a new low when Mason Lino crashed a kick into the side of Jordy Crowther's head to force his team-mate off for a head injury assessment.

Leigh defied their one-man disadvantage to score a scintillating try on the last tackle which was orchestrated by Lam and finished by Edwin Ipape.

Zak Hardaker converted and knocked over a penalty for a late hit minutes later to take the Leopards out of sight at 18-0.

Jack Croft – playing just his second game since rejoining the club – was stretchered off after a long delay with his neck in a brace to compound Wakefield's woes.

Leigh were celebrating a fourth try on the hour mark when Ricky Leutele gave Josh Charnley a simple finish.

Lam completed his double after shrugging off two would-be tacklers close to the line before Jowitt powered his way over to get Trinity on the board nine minutes from time.

Wakefield Trinity: Jowitt, Lineham, Croft, Kay, Taufua, Dagger, Lino, Proctor, Hood, Bowden, Hewitt, Ashurst, Pitts. Substitutes: Crowther, Bowes, Battye, Fifita.

Leigh Leopards: O'Brien, Briscoe, Leutele, Hardaker, Charnley, Reynolds, Lam, Amone, Ipape, Mulhern, Holmes, Nisbet, Asiata. Substitutes: Mellor, Seumanufagai, Wilde, Davis.

Referee: Aaron Moore.