Rovers were comfortably beaten by an experienced Wakefield side
Hull KR’s Jumah Sambou is tackled by Wakefield’s Seth Nikotemo & Corey Hall.(Image: )
In a game where neither side will have been concerned with the result, Hull KR and Wakefield Trinity got what they needed on a bitterly cold afternoon at Sewell Group Craven Park.
For the record, Wakefield were 34-6 winners as experience told in a typically patchy affair full of interchanges, some quality and too many penalties for a friendly.
Seven of Rovers’ eight signings for the new season were picked in the starting line-up, with only the club’s lead acquisition Tom Amone missing after injuring his hand on the club’s training camp in Tenerife.
Jack Broadbent was on captaincy duties having been selected to play in the halves alongside Jack Charles, a half-back signing from across the river.
Of all the new faces it was the presence of experienced Aussie Karl Lawton and French international prop Jordan Dezaria which will have likely captured the attention most of the hardy souls who braved a bitter east Hull wind on a cold January afternoon.
Dezaria and Lawton, along with Broadbent and Bill Leyland will have hopes of making the squad for the Super League opener at York, with the team involved against Daryl Powell’s men to have no resemblance to the one which features next month when two points are on offer.
In Rovers’ one and only run out of pre-season, the result mattered little, so few will care about the defeat as a far more experienced senior Trinity team ran out comfortable winners.
What was important for coach Willie Peters and his staff was minutes in the legs and miles on the clock for those players who needed it, and senior experience for those youngsters who were rewarded for their efforts in training throughout the winter.
To that end, Peters will have been relatively happy.
Broadbent was his usual busy and determined self. The centre’s versatility was a huge asset last season for Rovers and in shining at stand-off, he again typified the type of commitment and desire which helped make the side treble winners.
Dezaria stood up well to the testing challenge in the middle of the park, while Sambou looked lively on the few chances he had to shine with the ball in his hands. For Lawton, the bracing weather, physical Super League opposition and long minutes will all have been just what the new arrival needed. And so, to that end it was job done.
For the most part in the first half the KR winger was under pressure alongside Rovers’ right edge as Wakefield ran in three tries down their side after an opener through the middle.
Wakefield were quick out the ruck and slick with the ball as they carved up the KR defence time and again, building on an opening try in the second minute to notch up 22 unanswered points in the first half.
Rovers’ attack never really tested the visitors until after the break, with Leyland crashing over from dummy half to score, Jack Charles adding the extras.
KR came close a couple of more times through Harvey Horne and Noah Booth on opposite flanks, but it was left to Wakefield to add the further points as they closed the game out as they started it with a try.
Hull KR: Declan Murphy; Jumah Sambou, Noah Booth, Louix Gorman, Harvey Horne; Jack Broadbent, Jack Charles; Jordan Dezaria, Bill Leyland, Cobie Wainhouse; Karl Lawton, Frankie Dearlove; Tom Whjitehead
Interchange: Zach Fishwick, Alfie Woods, Joe Thompson, Jeylan Hodgson, Luca Irwin, Alfie Petty, Henry Hope
Wakefield Trinity: Max Jowitt, Oliver Pratt, Cameron Scott, Cortey Hall, Jayden Myers; Jake Trueman, Jack Sinfield; Caleb Hamlin-Uele, Tyson Smoothy, Caius Faatili; Seth Nikotemo, Matty Storton, Jay Pitts.
Bench: Charlie Abraham, Harvey Smith, Isiah Vagana, Lachlan Walmsley, .Josh Rourke, Tray Lolesio, Jordan Williams, Noah High, Alfie Briggs, Kian McGann, Will Tate, Zack Clegg.