Official Wakefield & Hull, and others, Rugby League 2025 thread

[Acido]

Animal, do you remember the big bearded Aussie Noel 'the crusher' Cleale lol, he used to be our player Manager/Coach in the 90s.
We'd started a season very well with about 5 wins and a draw, in the first 6.
But somebody asked him in an interview, "Hey yeah it's a good start Noel etc, but does it and will it have any bearing on the end of the season ?."
And Noel snapped... "Well it's better to be at the top, rather than at the bottom, at anytime of the season isn't it, so is that a good enough answer for you!!" . 😁 👍

[animallittle3]

Animal, do you remember the big bearded Aussie Noel 'the crusher' Cleale lol, he used to be our player Manager/Coach in the 90s.
We'd started a season very well with about 5 wins and a draw, in the first 6.
But somebody asked him in an interview, "Hey yeah it's a good start Noel etc, but does it and will it have any bearing on the end of the season ?."
And Noel snapped... "Well it's better to be at the top, rather than at the bottom, at anytime of the season isn't it, so is that a good enough answer for you!!" . 😁 👍

Difference is I guess is that it's all about that Grand Final in October at Old Trafford isn't it .

You don't have to finish top of the league to win the big prize , Cas walked Super League in 2017 but 5th placed Leeds beat them in the Grand Final .

[Acido]

... Cass walked the Super league in 2017, but 5th placed Leeds beat them in the Grand Final.

Hey don't worry about that lol, Cass will be winning toss all this season. 😄 🏉

[Barnsley Chop]

Well that biased little pro Wakey, and anti Hull review, certainly did make me laugh Chop. 😁 🏉
But yeah seriously, it's certainly the sort of match we've been used to losing for a few years now.
Where we've kept it tight, but just a mistake here or there has cost us a defeat, by about 6 points or less etc!.

Not biased at all Acido - I was at the game and after match comments from many Hull fans also said Wakefield where the better team.

[Acido]

Not biased at all Acido - I was at the game and after match comments from many Hull fans also said Wakefield where the better team.

I was being a bit sarcy as well Chop lol.
Which is why I then said "But yeah seriously..." after it. 😊

[animallittle3]

Betfred Super League Round 6

Leigh Leopards 14 - 40 Wakefield Trinity

Well I've had a stinker of a day at work , one of those total feck up days you get every now and then but that result has cheered me up no end .

There was absolutely no way we were travelling over to Leigh on a Friday night and battling the M62 , not a chance so it was Sky Sports + tonight and a couple of beers .

Another scintillating display by Trinity on the road , we've now won our opening 3 away games and we've taken care of Leeds , Warrington and now Leigh who are all expected to be in the Play Off conversation come the end of September .

It's going very well on our return to Super League and we look really competitive to say the least .

Sort that home form out starting next Friday night in the quarter final of the Challenge Cup against Leigh again and this could be a very good season .

Up The Trin .

[animallittle3]

Betfred Challenge Cup Quarter Final

Wakefield Trinity 12-20 Leigh Leopards

A disappointing evening at Belle Vue as we exited the Challenge Cup two games from Wembley .

Disappointing because we had the game in the bag at 12-6 up and on top of Leigh in the second half , we threw the game away with two poor errors and Leigh are far too good a side not to cash in on them .

Yet another tight game at Belle Vue that we've come out the wrong side of but at the same time It's probably understandable given the elite level we are seeking to break in to .

Trinity have put together a squad of players who are in the emerging or looking to reinvent themselves bracket after moves not working out at other clubs and this as frustrating as it is a process we have to go through before we start winning games at the elite level of Super League and Challenge Cup quarter finals .

The question of course is will these lessons be learned and only time will answer that .

Getting in amongst the elite level of Super League isn't easy but we are only a few percent in my opinion of attaining that and over the next two to three years I fully expect Trinity to start winning these hugely tight games .

The squad is probably short of a couple of serial winners who could have perhaps added some juice to this process but they aren't easy to get hold of in Super League .

Wigan and St Helens aren't giving you anybody that can still cut it at the very highest level and why would you leave those two clubs whilst you believe you can still collect winners medals .

A couple of players that may have helped us along were Tommy Makinson who left Saints for Catalan and Ryan Hall who left Hull KR and returned to Leeds where he won the lot times over in the Sinfield and Burrow days .

A case to be argued about using up salary cap space on two mid 30's players when you can recruit emerging talent with many season's in front of them and growing together as a group .

If we'd had Ryan Hall and Makinson in our ranks last night we'd have probably got through to the semi final with their big game , seen it and done experience invaluable .

There's no right and wrong answer of course and Trinity are going down the longer route to success .

Still didn't do anything for my disappointment last night mind .

Frustrating .

[Acido]

And we also went the same way Animal, with another home defeat. Admittedly though, against a very good Hull Kingston team.
Part of me keeps hoping we'll meet Wakey one day in the Semis, or even in the Final at Wembley. Maybe another year ehh. 😁
But anyway, that's Leigh, Hull K.R, Catalans, and Warrington, into the Semis. 🏉

[animallittle3]

Betfred Super League Round 7

St Helens 26 - 14 Wakefield Trinity

When you go to Saints you have to bring your A game to have any chance of winning a game of Rugby League , there is no such thing as a poor Saints team it's just some are better than others .

We just weren't at the races in the first half and easily our worst 40 minute performance of the season by some distance and Saints made us pay and led 20 - 0 at half time .

In years gone by Saints would probably have gone on to put 40 points on us but pleasingly Trinity showed plenty of character in the second half and scored three really good tries but fell short because of that wretched first half performance .

We are a real work in progress at the moment and we are going to have the odd bad 40 minutes it's just that you can't have them away at Saints or Wigan or they will blow you away easily .

It's derby night on Thursday when we meet Castleford and we will be better in front of yet another sold out Belle Vue .

Bring it on .

[Barnsley Chop]

Well, 3 games missed for me being in the Far East, a great win at Leigh then the disappointments of losing to Leigh at home in the Challenge cup then at Saints last Sunday.

I actually thought we had a good opportunity to turn St Helens over as like us they were missing some key players but we did not get off the bus until the second half. To take the second half 14 points to 6 though does show how much an improved team we are in all areas of the game.

No club can become a top 4 side in such a physical team sport in one season after being promoted back to Super League. But the signs are there that we can and are competing at SL level for sure, so I am still sticking with my pre-season prediction of finishing in 8th spot. We still have not played any of the bottom 4 teams, that is till this Thursday evening.

So onto this Thursday evening and our local rivals Castleford will arrive at Belle Vue desperate for a win having only 1 win to date and that being at home to Salford a club off and on the pitch in crisis mode. So I am expecting our first home league win to go with the 3 great away results.

For me just a short trip of circa 7300 miles to see the game as travelling from Jakarta tomorrow afternoon local time and arriving into Manchester airport 8am Thursday morning.