St Helens delivered a spectacular second‑half display that left Wakefield Trinity reeling, securing a 46‑16 triumph and keeping their dwindling Super League playoff aspirations alive. The Saints, a club that has never missed the post‑season, arrived at the match on the back of a worrying spell – three consecutive defeats and five losses in their last six outings – which had left them six points adrift of the top six.
The game started badly for the visitors, as Wakefield, sitting fourth in the table, surged ahead to a 10‑0 lead. By halftime the scoreline read 16‑12 in favour of the home side, but the second half told a completely different story. St Helens unleashed a torrent of attacking rugby, crossing the line six times without reply and turning the contest into a rout. Tristan Sailor, who had already notched a brace, completed his hat‑trick in the latter stages, while Lewis Murphy added another try to his first‑half tally.
Jake Davies also found the try‑line twice as the Saints pressed on, pulling them within four points of sixth‑placed Leigh Leopards with only four fixtures remaining. Wakefield’s night was further complicated by injuries.
Within the opening 15 minutes, they lost centre Josh Rourke and try‑scorer Isaiah Vagana to knocks. Vagana was forced off after a hard tackle left him clutching his left arm, and Rourke departed after a collision with Murphy. These setbacks hampered Wakefield’s ability to respond to the Saints’ onslaught. The early moments of the match had seemed to favour the hosts.
Tyson Smoothy struck in the eighth minute, his conversion by Jack Sinfield putting Wakefield ahead, and Vagana followed with a try in the 12th minute, again converted by Sinfield, extending the lead to 12‑0. However, the momentum shifted when Sailor and Murphy broke through the defense, each converting their own chances and narrowing the gap before the break. In the second half, the Saints’ dominance became even more pronounced.
Lachlan Walmsley saw two of his tries disallowed after the restart, while Murphy’s second‑half effort – a diving finish in the corner – gave St Helens a brief lead before he limped off with a left‑leg injury. Billy Keeley’s try at the 64‑minute mark, after seizing a loose ball, was the final nail in Wakefield’s coffin.
Sailor’s hat‑trick, capped by a grueling, lung‑busting run, sealed the victory and prompted many Wakefield supporters to leave the stadium early. Trinity coach Daryl Powell was scathing in his post‑match interview, calling his side’s performance "unforgivable" and lamenting a lack of effort in the latter stages. He said, "It’s really disappointing. The second half last week and the whole game today, I don’t think we’re in a great place.
We didn’t perform well. We took a smack on the nose last week and we haven’t recovered from that this week. They were desperate and they out‑played us.
I don’t think our fight was good enough. It’s hugely disappointing and I’ve said to the players ‘we’ve got to flip this pretty quick’. We play Wigan next week and it doesn’t get any harder than that." The broader Super League picture was also highlighted in the coverage. Wigan, after a dominant 34‑6 win over Bradford, moved level on points with league leaders Leeds.
The Bulls scored six tries, with Jake Wardle, Adam Keighran and Bevan French crossing the line before the break, and Wardle adding another in the second half alongside tries from Kian McDermott and Jake Kerr. Bradford’s solitary score came from Andy Ackers. Wigan’s 18th win of the season placed them four points clear of both Warrington and Wakefield, who sit third and fourth respectively.
Bradford, meanwhile, have been relegated to the bottom of the table after Huddersfield’s 26‑10 victory in France, which saw the Huddersfield side overtake them on points difference. Huddersfield have been on a resurgence, beating York, Hull FC and Catalans, while Toulouse have slipped into a four‑match losing streak after defeats to Catalans, Leeds and Wigan.
The Giants (Leeds) have found form, winning four straight games after a sluggish start that saw only two victories in their first 19 matches. Their recent success was fueled by two tries from Sam Halsall and one each from Joe Greenwood and Conor Wrench.
Overall, the round showcased the volatility of the league, with teams like St Helens fighting to stay in contention and others such as Wakefield battling to avoid a slide down the table. The Saints’ dramatic turnaround will be a talking point for weeks, especially as they look to close the gap on the playoff spots with only a handful of games left. Sky Sports continues to broadcast every Super League match live this season, with two games each round shown exclusively on the main channel and the remaining fixtures available on Sky Sports+.