The Wakefield Trinity Ladies team in a group huddle. Photo credit: Wakefield Trinity RLFC.
Hull KR 64-0 Wakefield Trinity
(HT 26-0) Be Well Support Stadium
It was a game that perhaps wasn’t quite reflected in the scoreline in this RFL Women’s Championship fixture between Hull KR and Wakefield. Trinity came into the fixture with a 15-player squad with just 2 interchanges, the They’d only finished with 10 on the pitch. Injuries massively impacted the side in their quest to get their first win on the board. The Robins on the other hand left plenty of errors on the pitch which more often than not provided potential try scoring opportunities for the home side, and were left without trusted kicker Demi Thomas who got the ball between the sticks 13 times with 7 of her own tries in this previous clash.
Fullback Beth Pinto was key for Wakefield in applying the pressure to Hull KR, leading to plenty of knock-ons. Ebony Hardcastle’s tackles close to the line prevented a try or two, but could not overcome the dominant force of Hull’s loose forward Lois Brown, who exploited the gaps in the Trinity line to score a hat-trick in the first half.
The first try came courtesy of Brown herself, after finding the gap in the wing of the line. Lois Brown received the ball off a sneaky pass out of a tackle, barging past the opposition wing for another try. Both tries were followed by unsuccessful conversion attempts.
Wakefield held the Robins back, but it was only a matter of time before they’d gotten over the line again. Narelle Hall, Abbie Kudla and Amy Nolan all put tries on the board. Lois Brown was key in breaking through the Wakefield wall, speeding past the left wing and making the sprint round to the sticks to provide a better conversion chance for her kicker – which proved successful. A similar story for Brown’s third try of the half to ensure her hat-trick.
Wakefield’s woes worsened as two players were taken off the pitch after receiving medical attention. Trinity were putting the pressure on nonetheless, awarded a scrum just metres before the Hull tryline. They were awarded another set in the Robin’s half via another knock-on. In touching distance, the ball was knocked on by Wakefield after an attempt at a catch didn’t quite land. The home side were given another chance via Hull’s errors, but failed to capitalise. The visitors were leading 30-0 at the break.
Hull were soon into the Wakefield half and scoring at the start of the second half. Madison Kendall slid through the gap under the sticks to get the half’s first try. The conversion was just wide. The Robins were close to the sticks before a knock-on once again saw the ball back in Wakefield’s possession. Trinity never broke out of their own half, with Hull’s Brown scoring yet another try adding to her 3, dashing through the sticks. Only the second conversion of the game for KR.
Oaten-Powdrill also added two more to her tally to get her own hat-trick, one converted and one missed. A fine sprint from Bulman-Hook saw Hull breach the Wakefield defence just before the line. It wasn’t too long before they got the ball over the line, though unconverted.
Wakefield were 10 down, fighting a full side Hull. They were given two sets in close range off the tryline, but spacial awareness let the side down with the ball not moving out to the edge where the gaps were.
Amy Nolan ran from Wakefield’s 30 to dart over the line for another try for the Robins. Converted by Carla Nolan, Hull were 64-0 with a minute left in the game. The whistle blew with the score unchanged.
Overall a fairly unchallenged contest, there were signs in the Wakefield side that improvements have been made since their previous clash with Hull. Plagued by injury, the few chances created were unutilised by the remaining 10. As for Hull, their RFL Women’s Championship winning crusade continues. They’re 2nd in the table with 8 wins, 16 points and 2 games in hand over top Dewsbury Moor.
Squads:
Wakefield Trinity: Beth Pinto, Holly Spurr, Katie Evans, Rochelle Liddle, Libby Morris, Beth Cain, Jess Flintoff, Leanne Candler, Sophia Liu, Ellie Sykes, Holly Whitaker, Ebony Hardcastle, Ruby Lockwood. Interchange – Emily Jo-Brown, Sian Spence
Hull KR: Carla Nolan, Ruby Marritt, Sophie Banks, Amy Nolan, Ebony Oaten-Powdrill, Abbie Kudla, Beth Rushmer, Kayleigh Bulman-Hook, Cassy Lawson, Narelle Hall, Madison Kendall, Lois Brown. Interchanges – Shannon Ostler, Paige Cooper, Hannah Byrom, Rachel Robertson, Niamh Mullins, Leah Ward, Chloe Holliday
