Kear - Get up for the Cup

Wilcats boss urges players to bounce back after Odsal defeat

Last updated: 21st July 2008

john kear wakefield

Kear: Calling for Cup response

We've got to quickly turn it around so that we give a quality performance at Doncaster next week.

John Kear
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Wakefield coach John Kear has called on his faltering side to find their form ahead of their Carnegie Challenge Cup semi-final against Hull after their 24-10 reverse at Bradford condemned them to a fourth straight defeat.

The Wildcats face the club who sacked Kear in 2006 at Doncaster's Keepmoat Stadium on Sunday and the former England coach knows they must improve if they are to progress to Wembley.

Shock triumphs with Sheffield Eagles in 1998 and Hull in 2005 established Kear's reputation for knockout successes and have encouraged hopes of him becoming the first man to coach three different clubs to Challenge Cup glory.

However, when asked how his side's form will affect them ahead of their date in Doncaster, the Wakefield coach said: "All will be revealed next Sunday.

"We will prepare in a very positive manner and try to be buoyant and upbeat.

"It's a little difficult at the minute of course because we've just copped our fourth successive loss.

Overpowered

"We've got to quickly turn it around so that we give a quality performance at Doncaster next week.

"Hull will be buoyant after beating us last week and then beating Hull KR, but it's my job to turn things round."

Wakefield established a 6-0 lead through Damien Blanch's second-minute touchdown and a penalty from Brad Drew, but they were simply overpowered after the break as Bradford claimed four tries through Paul Deacon, Terry Newton, Ben Jeffries and Iestyn Harris to render Blanch's second try in the closing stages meaningless.

And yet Kear - who rested talismanic scrum-half Danny Brough because of a calf strain - refused to be too downbeat about his side's latest loss.

He said: "That was a much better performance than the previous two and there are steps forward that we've taken today."

Sam Burgess' first-half sinbinning ultimately counted for little as Bradford turned moved through the gears after the restart.

The 19-year-old Bulls and England forward, who is nursing a shoulder injury which could require reconstructive surgery that would rule him out of the World Cup this autumn, became needlessly involved in a melee involving several players in the 32nd minute.

Burgess' injury woe

The incident was in keeping with a chaotic but low-quality first half and Bulls coach Steve McNamara admitted the teenage prodigy is a doubt for the World Cup.

He said: "He has got an injury that will require an operation and it's unlikely that he will feature at the World Cup.

"I would hate for the kid to miss the World Cup because he's desperate to go there but he possibly won't continue playing for that long and we have to think of his long-term future as well.

"The second scan proved there was no bone damage in there, which enabled him to play today.

"Even if he reinjured it today it wouldn't have caused any more damage to the actually injury.

"We will get him fixed up when required, and we've got a decision to make as to when we get him in for the operation.

"He's part of our long-term future and that's something we need to consider as well.

"If we can get him through to the end of the season and the length of the operation will enable him to recover in time to have a good pre-season for 2009 then we will do that.

"If the specialist tells us that it's a longer recovery period then we'll get him in earlier."