Wakefield Trinity’s Academy side started their 2024 campaign with a 20-12 victory over Bradford Bulls at the DIY Kitchens Stadium.
Trinity got off to a great start as fullback Ed Hunter made a man miss and went close before being brought down but Harvey Smith was on hand to dive over from dummy half and open the scoring.
Bradford got close to replying shortly after going close twice first through Elijah Delaidriti before Lewis Owens tried to replicate Smith’s effort but instead was held up.
Dom Sinfield was the next to almost cross after a expansive move from Wakefield shifted the ball left to right. Bradford were able to scramble and halt the centre but were not able to stop Amir Sghaier from close range as the winger scored from dummy half. Will Brough couldn’t add the extras but Wakefield led into the break 10-0.
It was more of the same for the home side after half time as Tom Bell’s kick found Sghaier around 20 metres out and with a host of Bulls players in front of him. Incredibly the winger jinked past a couple of defenders before powering over the top of the Bradford fullback for his second of the game.
Will Brough dinked a kick towards the corner and the Bradford winger struggled to collect the ball allowing it to bounce and letting Noah Crawshaw scoop the ball up and cross to push Trinity 20-0 ahead.
Bradford came back into the game in the closing stages with two tries first from Jamie Gill and then Lewis Owens but it was too late for the visitors.
Wakefield Trinity: Hunter, Crawshaw, Ratcliffe, Sinfield, Sghaier, Brough, Bell, Roberts, Smith, Briggs, Winks, Staveley-Carr, Thompson
Trinity Interchanges: McKenzie, Molyneux, Hardie, Lingard
Trinity Tries: Smith, Sghaier (2), Crawshaw
Trinity Goals: Brough (2/4)
Bradford Bulls: Sayner, Acarer, Duckworth, Burn, McKinley, Delaidriti, Rayner, Gill, Owens, Bateman, Mawson, Sunderland, Butler
Bulls Interchanges: Welsh, Leake, Orimogunje, Clapham
Bulls Tries: Gill, Owens
Bulls Goals: Acarer (2/2)