Injuries worries mount for Wakefield Trinity following defeat to Catalans Dragons

WAKEFIELD TRINITY were left with just 14 fit players as the final hooter sounded in their defeat against Catalans Dragons.
Wakefield Trinity v Catalans Dragons - David Fifita takes a carry. Picture: Bruce Rollinson.Wakefield Trinity v Catalans Dragons - David Fifita takes a carry. Picture: Bruce Rollinson.
Wakefield Trinity v Catalans Dragons - David Fifita takes a carry. Picture: Bruce Rollinson.

Trinity fell to a 58-0 loss against the French outfit and sustained three injury blows during a tough afternoon in St Helens.

Lee Kershaw was withdrawn with torn hamstring and potentially faces the longest spell out while Tony Gigot (knee) and Kelepi Tanginoa (ribs) will await further assessment but both were unable to continue after being forced off in the first half.

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Head coach Chris Chester felt the injuries made life more difficult for his side but was not happy with the effort from Trinity, as the Dragons ran in 10 tries while Wakefield barely registered any pressure on their opponents' line.

"We lost Kelepi first and that obviously doesn't help because he is a big player for us," said a disappointed Chester.

"Then we lost Tony Gigot and a winger in Lee Kershaw. When you lose two outside backs in key positions like that you are always going to struggle.

"We made it easy for them. They backed our errors up with some tough defence and that was the biggest difference tonight was the toughness of the two teams.

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"The injuries are not ideal but we have got some young kids training hard behind the scenes and they will potentially get an opportunity next week."

Wakefield Trinity v Catalans Dragons - Jacob Miller looks to get past a defender. Picture: Bruce Rollinson.Wakefield Trinity v Catalans Dragons - Jacob Miller looks to get past a defender. Picture: Bruce Rollinson.
Wakefield Trinity v Catalans Dragons - Jacob Miller looks to get past a defender. Picture: Bruce Rollinson.

Tom Davies and Matt Whitley both ran in hat-tricks for a dominant Dragons outfit, who were without talisman Israel Folau.

Samsoni Langi crossed twice while Fouad Yaha and Julian Bousquet completed the scoring for Catalans.

Chester felt Trinity's opponents showed more desperation than his side as Wakefield failed to deal with the Dragons' physicality.

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"In that first set they split us down that right edge, we just got out-muscled by a much more physical pack," added Chester.

Wakefield Trinity v Catalans Dragons - Tom Davies scored a hat-trick for the victors. Picture: Mike Egerton/PA Wire.Wakefield Trinity v Catalans Dragons - Tom Davies scored a hat-trick for the victors. Picture: Mike Egerton/PA Wire.
Wakefield Trinity v Catalans Dragons - Tom Davies scored a hat-trick for the victors. Picture: Mike Egerton/PA Wire.

"What irritates me more as a coach, it is not the defeat, is the fact that some niggly stuff went on and we did nothing about it.

"We have got to be a lot tougher on ourselves. Catalans were far superior to us, they dominated the floor.

"One thing that really hurt was that they were a lot more desperate, they were first to every loose ball that was down on the floor."

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