Wakefield Wildcats run in eight tries in Doncaster trial game win

WAKEFIELD Trinity Wildcats cruised to a 44-4 victory at Doncaster in their final trial game before the Super League XVIII kick-off.

Richard Agar’s men crossed the whitewash eight times at the Keepmoat Stadium, all through different try-scorers, in a run-out that gave valuable game time to Wakefield’s undercooked players ahead of Sunday’s season opener at Bradford Bulls.

Wildcats were a class above their Championship hosts but the test was a crucial one, especially with the recent snowfall and freezing temperatures giving Wakefield little time out on the training pitch.

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Skipper Danny Kirmond returned to action while players such as Kyle Amor, Oliver Wilkes and Frankie Mariano got vital time on the pitch.

Wildcats fans who made the trip to South Yorkshire also got to see some of the club’s under-19s stars in action in wingers Tom Rodgers, who scored, and Matt Cook, as well as Brad Day.

It took ten minutes for Wakefield to open up the Dons defence as Mariano crashed over the line and tries followed at regular intervals.

Peter Fox, Matt Wildie, Amor, Kirmond and Danny Cowling, who is set for a dual registration move to Doncaster, all got on the scoresheet in a rampant first half for the visitors in which Paul Sykes added four from six conversions.

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Tony Miller’s men pulled a try back right on the half-time hooter as former Wakefield man Paul Cooke kicked for Stu Sanderson to touch down in the corner.

Wakefield extended their lead shortly after the restart through Dewsbury-bound Chris Annakin but the points dried up in the second half as Agar rung the changes to his side.

Youthful exuberance took over for the visitors and winger Rodgers, an under-19s player, also got on the scoresheet. Bobbie Goulding, who will start the season on a dual registration deal with the Dons, took over the kicking for Wakefield and converted both in the second half.

Wakefield decided to test their young stars by finishing the game with 12 men, and the only blot on the visitors’ copybook came through a dislocated finger suffered by Isaac John,

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Doncaster: Butterfield, Waterman, Leaf, Cunningham, Sanderson, Kesik, Fawcett, Castle, Emmett, Waller, Robinson, Kelly, Edwards. Subs: Cooke, Welsh, Powley, Spurr, Hughes, Carbutt, Broughton.

Wakefield: Mathers, Fox, Cowling, Lyne, Cockayne, Sykes, Wildie, Poore, Aiton, Amor, Kirmond, Mariano, Washbrook. Subs: Rodgers, Day, Cook, Wilkes, Trout, Singleton, John, Goulding, Annakin, Kay.

Attendance: 810.

Referee: Thierry Alibert.