Leeds overturn Wakefield half-time lead with three second-half tries
Wakefield Trinity's Under-18 side led by 10 points at half-time yet suffered a frustrating second-half collapse as Leeds Rhinos produced three tries after the break to win 30-22 at Stanningley. It was the sort of match that leaves coaches scribbling in notebooks and parents wondering how quickly the youngsters grow up.
The first 20 minutes belonged to the Rhinos as two quick scores — one finished by Hughie Tinkler after strong forward work and another by Evan Jones — put the visitors into an early lead. Leeds looked slick in that opening spell, with full-back Wade White creating momentum and linking up to allow Seth Marchant himself to get on the scoreboard.
Wakefield, coached at this age group by Kieron Purtill, steadied and then turned the game in the middle period. A productive spell saw the Trinity youngsters touch down four times in roughly 25 minutes to lead 22-12 at the break. Key contributions came from the back line and from opportunistic support play, with James Sharp finishing a move set up by Jackson Cummins and other sequences that pinched momentum back in Wakefield’s favour.
Leeds Rhinos Under-18s overturned a 10-point deficit at half time to beat Wakefield Trinity 30-22.
There were near misses for both sides. Wakefield winger Tom Richardson was denied twice in promising positions, including a lost ball over the line from a driving set-piece. Trinity also saw chances slip from the hands of second-rower Sean Hall at a crucial moment after a 40/20 from Cummins had given them a foothold close to the line.
- Half-time: Wakefield leading 22-12
- Final score: Leeds Rhinos 30 – Wakefield Trinity 22
- Second-half scorers (Leeds): Noah Lunn, Alfie Steel, Bailey Hardy; plus a penalty goal from Seth Marchant
Wakefield’s first-half effort demonstrated that the academy pipeline still produces players who can compete with their counterparts across the city boundary. But Leeds' bench and their ability to find a cutting edge after the interval proved decisive. Three second-half tries — finished by Noah Lunn, Alfie Steel and Bailey Hardy — coupled with a penalty from Marchant wiped out the deficit and put the Rhinos in front for the first time.
| Period | Leeds | Wakefield |
|---|---|---|
| First half | 12 | 22 |
| Second half | 18 | 0 |
| Total | 30 | 22 |
For Wakefield, the game will feel like two halves in every sense. The first showed a team able to construct multi-phase play and finish in the corners; the second exposed defensive frailties when the pressure switched. Academy matches are as much about learning as winning, and this one will supply plenty of material for coaches and players alike.
Stanningley has become a familiar theatre for these junior clashes, and matches of this nature underline how thin the margin is between victory and defeat at development level. A couple of handling errors at crucial moments and a lapse in line speed after the break were all it took for Wakefield to slip from control.
There are positives to take. Both sides created numerous chances, and the individual skill on show — from line breaks to finishing in contact — bodes well for the future. For Wakefield, it will be back to the training field to work on holding leads and closing out games; for Leeds, the match is a reminder that matches can be won even when under the cosh early on.
Local supporters who watched will have been treated to an entertaining 80 minutes and a reminder that the region’s next generation of rugby talent is being forged in real matches, with real consequences. As ever with youngsters, it’s not the result that will define them — it’s how quickly they learn from it.
