TRINITY REPEL CENTURIONS
ANDREW STEEL
WAKEFIELD TRINITY 30
LEIGH CENTURIONS 20
Mobile Rocket Stadium, Sunday
Reece Lyne looks for a way past Iain Thornley and Lewis Tierney
JOE WESTERMAN made it a century of tries on his 350th career appearance as Wakefield Trinity rode out the potential banana-skin of a shock reverse against Leigh Centurions in Super League, heaping further misery on their winless visitors and interim coach in his first game in charge.
The former England international delivered another central performance for Chris Chester’s side to take them to a hat-trick of consecutive victories on a Challenge Cup weekend where they were the only top-flight game in town, in a rearranged Round 13 fixture.
Though Westerman has not played for his country since the 2014 Four Nations, his continued output as a talismanic backrow anchor will undoubtedly only fuel his outside claim for an unexpected recall to Shaun Wane’s set-up, at least in the eyes of the Belle Vue faithful.
Yet for concentrated periods, the hosts looked in serious risk of coming off second-best against their visitors, who delivered a spirited performance in defeat following a turbulent week off the field that saw coach John Duffy part ways with the club and assistant Kurt Haggerty take the reins.