Trinity hooker Kyle Wood admits two-win Wakefield and Leeds Rhinos are both desperate for victory from third meeting

WAKEFIELD TRINITY could record a third win of the season over Leeds Rhinos this week, but hooker Kyle Wood insists past results count for nothing.
Wakefield Trinity hooker, Kyle Wood. PIC: Isabel Pearce/SWpix.comWakefield Trinity hooker, Kyle Wood. PIC: Isabel Pearce/SWpix.com
Wakefield Trinity hooker, Kyle Wood. PIC: Isabel Pearce/SWpix.com

Trinity romped to a 35-18 success at Emerald Headingley in March and were 26-24 victors on their own turf on Easter Monday.

But Rhinos will go into Friday’s game, at Mobile Rocket Stadium, Belle Vue, on the back of a win while Wakefield are aiming to end a run of three successive defeats and Wood reckons that will make it an entirely new ball-game.

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“I think they are desperate for wins and we are desperate for wins at the moment,” pointed out the 29-year-old, who has been one of Trinity’s most consistent performers this year.

“I think it will be a different kind of game and, hopefully, we will prepare well and get the win.”

Leeds have had two weeks to get ready for the derby, but Trinity were involved in a sapping Coral Challenge Cup quarter-final at St Helens last Saturday, which they lost 48-10.

Wood, though, is confident their longer preparation time will not give Rhinos an advantage. He said: “I think that last week’s game did us good. It showed in periods we can match the top teams.

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“The young kid, Jack Croft on his debut, went really well. It was a great first touch for his try and he was solid all game. Lee Kershaw put in another good performance and it’s great for us that those kind of players can come through. I think that’s good to build on for the rest of the season.”

Third in the table for a spell last month, Trinity have slipped to sixth. Though only points difference separates them from fifth-placed Castleford Tigers, the pressure mounts with every loss and Wood admitted Friday could be a pivotal date in Trinity’s season.

“It’s a big game,” he accepted. “It stops our season from declining – we need to keep our foot on the gas.

“We have maybe had a little slump, but if we get a win this week we will be back in the top-five and that will kick-start us building towards the end of the year.”

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Now Trinity are out of the Coral Challenge Cup all their focus is on qualifying for the Super League play-offs.

There are 13 games to play and Wood insisted: “I think we can do it.

“We just need to use the last two games to get us back in the league.

“In the last two games, we’ve been building that kind of effort-based stuff and I think we can take that into Friday. If we pick up a couple of wins we are back in the top-four.”

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Trinity left it too late in their defeat at London Broncos, losing 42-34 after trailing 42-6 with 16 minutes left. They pushed Catalans all the way at the Magic Weekend and while Trinity were well-beaten in their Cup quarter-final, most of the damage was done towards the end of both halves.

Wood felt they were in that contest for much of it, despite fielding a depleted team and he reflected: ”It was a brilliant effort, but Saints are a really good team and that’s why they are at the top of Super League. The effort was there and that got us in the game for long periods. I don’t think the scoreline reflects the effort we put in.”