ROUND 9 MATCH REPORT | Wakefield Trinity 0-58 Catalans Dragons

Jack Walker reviews a sensational Catalans Dragons performance as the French outfit put ten tries past Wakefield Trinity.

MATCH TIMELINE

MATCH SUMMARY

1st Half

Tom Davies and Matt Whitley both scored hat-tricks as Catalans Dragons dismantled a dismal Wakefield Trinity side – running in ten unanswered tries on their way to a 58-point haul.

James Maloney kicked seven of his eight attempts and Sam Tomkins added two more to rub salt into Trinity’s wounds.

Catalans went into the game as favourites after their 40-14 win against Castleford Tigers last time out and have now scored 98 points in the past seven days with an aggregate points difference of +84.

Wakefield were unlucky to lose out 23-22 to Wigan Warriors in their previous outing, but a slow start proved costly and fate repeated itself today.

The doors even opened five minutes earlier than in the spirited fightback against the Warriors as Matt Whitley crossed the whitewash to begin the scoring in the eight minute of the match.

Samisoni Langi and Tom Davies added the second and third scores within the next ten minutes as the game looked all but over before the midway point in the first half.

James Maloney was on fire with the boot and sent two more kicks over before Davies’ second try of the half saw the half time deficit stretched to 26 points.

2nd Half

And it wasn’t about to get better for Wakefield.

After they showed such spirit and determination to almost pull off the comeback of the season against Wigan last weekend, their lacklustre play and woeful defending was surprising, and sad, to see.

The Dragons, though, weren’t in the mood to pass up the chance of a big score, so went about increasing it.

Davies completed his hattrick less than two minutes into the second forty and tries from Julien Bousquet and Fouad Yaha helped the lead jump to 40-0.

By this point, it was a procession. Whitley grabbed his second and third of the evening with just over ten minutes to the hooter and Langi even had time to improve his personal statistics as he rounded off the sensational scoring spree with five to go.

Catalans’ professionalism has to be applauded, but Trinity fans will be fearing the worst after such a damaging scoreline. Their next game against Warrington will go a long way to indicating whether or not 2020 will see a successful season or not. It’s Wigan away for Catalans on the 30th.

GAME HIGHLIGHT

Davies’ completes his hattrick

Given Wakefield’s impressive fightback against Wigan last week, Catalans knew they couldn’t afford to let them take control in the early exchanges of the second forty – and boy did Tom Davies knew it. His third try came less than two minutes into the half and put the game beyond all doubt if it wasn’t already.

SQUADS

Wakefield Trinity: Tony Gigot, Liam Kay, Reece Lyne, Bill Tupou, Lee Kershaw, Jacob Miller, Ryan Hampshire, Craig Kopczak, Josh Wood, Kelepi Tanginoa, Jay Pitts, Matty Ashurst, Joe Westerman, Kyle Wood, David Fifita, Romain Navarrete, Adam Tangata

Catalans Dragons: Sam Tomkins, T. Davies, Samisoni Langi, David Mead, Fouad Yaha, James Maloney, Joshua Drinkwater, Remi Casty, Michael Mcllorum, Sam Moa, Matt Whitley, Joel Tomkins, Benjamin Garcia, Julien Bosquet, Benjamin Jullien, Jason Baitieri, Sam Kasiano