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Round 27: Wildcats 24-10 Hull KR
engage Super League XIV- Round 27
Wakefield Wildcats 24-10 Hull KR
Hearwell Stadium
A Sam Obst inspired Wakefield earned themselves the right to be called the best Wildcats team in the summer era with an impressive win over Hull KR.
Obst scored one and created others for Dale Ferguson and Aaron Murphy as well as adding a second half penalty. Richard Moore got the other try for the home side.
Clint Newton and Peter Fox’s scores were scant consolation for a physical Rovers side who had two players placed on report.
The two points made Wakefield’s regular season tally 32, bettering the thirty the club achieved in 2004.
It was the fifth win on the spin for the first time this season for the Wildcats, who included Dale Morton, Frank Winterstein and Kyle Bibb in the seventeen in three changes to the side that beat Catalans Dragons last weekend.
They replaced the injured trio of Luke George, Sean Gleeson and Brad Drew with both George and Drew expected to be available for next weekend’s play-off game at the Hearwell Stadium.
The Wildcats came out purring with skipper Jason Demetriou leading by example with a break in the first minute that had the Rovers defence reeling.
The Robins had the bodies on that occasion but weight of numbers was irrelevant a couple of minutes later when Obst picked up from dummy half metres from the Robins line and put in a delicate kick that Kris Welham fumbled under pressure from Demetriou allowing Ferguson to ground the ball.
After sending the decision to the video referee the Wildcats were awarded the opening try which former Hull FC man Danny Brough converted.
Obst was at the heart of much of Wakefield’s attacking threat throughout and he made one of many scampering runs from dummy half but felt the full force of a Newton tackle to end his burst to the line.
Justin Morgan’s side finally got their hands on the ball and forced two goal line drop outs meaning the Wakefield defence had defended three successive sets.
And they seemed to have done enough as Newton seemingly bounced the ball over the try line but this time the video referee’s judgement didn’t favour Wakefield and remarkably the try was awarded.
After a fast start the game turned into a very physical encounter with the Robins having the majority of field position and possession but the Wildcats looked the more dangerous team in the opposition
twenty.
Stanley Gene- making what could be his last appearance for Rovers knocked on on 27 minutes in a Sam Obst ankle tackle, and Obst again weaved his way from dummy half and had the momentum to get over the try line.
Again the decision went upstairs to the video referee and again the decision was in favour of the attacking team.
Things could have got even better for the Wildcats five minutes before half-time when Scott Grix made a darting run down the short side and although Wakefield moved the ball quickly across the pitch, the
ever involved Obst was again on the wrong end of a big tackle, this time from Rhys Lovegrove.
That put an end to that particular attack but two minutes into the second half and the Wakefield faithful were celebrating once again. After Ben Fisher had knocked on in the first set of the half the Wildcats worked the ball to within metres of the line.
Matt Blaymire caught the Rovers defence on the hop by picking up a quick play of the ball and fed Moore who was never going to be stopped from less than five metres.
This gave John Kear’s side a twelve point lead which should have been eaten into on 48 minutes but former Wakefield man Fox inexplicably lost control of the ball with the line at his mercy.
However, five minutes later and Michael Dobson’s towering bomb proved too hot to handle for Morton and the scrum-half picked up on the loose ball before handing onto Fox who made no mistake on this
occasion.
At this point the Wakefield fans braced themselves for an onslaught from the men from East Hull and their worry was compounded when Brough was forced off with a knock to his hip.
But no sooner had the WiSCA Player of the Year left the field and Wakefield were awarded a penalty bang in front of the sticks. Man of the match Obst stepped up to knock over the two points.
It was fast turning into the Obst show when on 65 minutes the Wildcats forced a repeat set and the pocket dynamo picked up on a loose ball before showing great vision, awareness and execution to
weight a fine grubber to the corner which Murphy gleefully touched down.
The Aussie couldn’t quite manage the touchline conversion but it mattered little.
As the game entered its final ten minutes it became particularly scrappy with the Robins denied a 71st minute score for a forward pass.
There was to be no denying Wakefield victory- and a thoroughly deserved one at that against a side who have occupied the top four all season long.
If Trinity can maintain and better this standard of performance starting next weekend then who knows what Kear’s men can achieve in 2009.
They now look forward to a first ever home play-off game next weekend and you will be able to find out how to get your hands on tickets tomorrow.
So make sure you check back to www.wakefieldwildcats.co.uktomorrow for that and reaction on the win from John Kear.
Wakefield: Blaymire, Morton, Demetriou, Atkins, Murphy, Grix, Brough, Stosic, Obst, Korkidas, Wilkes, Henderson, Ferguson.
Replacements: Winternstein, Moore, Leo-Latu, Bibb.
Scorers: Tries: Ferguson, Obst, Moore, Murphy
Goals: Brough (3), Obst
Hull KR: Briscoe, Fox, Walker, Welham, Colbon, Cooke, Dobson, Wheeldon, Fitzhenry, Vella, Newton, Galea, I'Anson.
Replacements: Gene, Lovegrove, Netherton, Fisher.
Scorers: Tries: Newton, Fox
Goals: Dobson
Referee: S Ganson (St Helens).
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