Wakefield Trinity not getting carried away ahead of Challenge Cup quarter-final after 'toughest 40-point win'

Trinity’s positive return to Super League continued as they ran in seven tries at the Leigh Sports Village with Olly Russell, Tom Johnstone and Mike McMeeken all claiming two apiece.

It was the club’s third win from six in the competition and landed a psychological blow on the Leopards ahead of next week’s meeting in the Challenge Cup quarter-finals.

Powell said: “We’re obviously really pleased. I think it was a big performance from the boys. We put a fair bit of pressure on Leigh and it’s a big win for us.

“We started so well but then got pegged back a little bit, the momentum changed. Then, second half, we had a couple of decisions go our way.

“I asked the boys what they thought of the game and they said it’s the toughest 40-point win they’ve ever had. It was a tough game, a close game in lots of ways.

“We play the same team next week and they’ve got a bit of motivation there for that.”

Wakefield, who led 18-10 at half-time, broke away after the interval with Johnstone’s two stunning length-of-the-field interception tries making a big difference.

Powell said: “He catches pigeons, doesn’t he? Teams are going after him a fair bit but then he gets two opportunities and nobody’s catching him from there. It was pretty special.”

Leigh’s defeat was their second in succession after last week’s 30-0 hammering at Hull KR.

Coach Adrian Lam said: “I’m very disappointed, frustrated.

“We carried over the performance from last week. We had a bit of a hangover for that first 20 minutes and conceded two or three soft tries, which is uncharacteristic of us.

“We just made simple, basic mistakes with the ball, which is like under-12 stuff.”

Lam felt the game turned on two video referee decisions in the closing stages of the first half when Leigh’s Gareth O’Brien had a try disallowed and McMeeken was awarded one.

He said: “It was a real tough decision right on half-time, a 12-point swing. It should be 16-12 instead of 18-10. I think that was a big play.”

Lam confirmed the club are looking to add to the squad and have been linked with a move to re-sign their former forward Tom Amone, who left for Canterbury Bulldogs last year.

Lam said: “It’s probably not working out the best for him there at the moment and we need someone like him in our club. If he’s talking to other Super League clubs, we want to be in amongst that.

“We’ve got a quota spot available and we’ve got some money to spend, so we are looking.”