Wakefield Trinity secured a hard‑earned 25‑18 triumph over the Warrington Wolves in the second‑to‑last round of the Super League campaign, a win that kept their hopes of finishing third alive. The match, staged at the DIY Kitchens Stadium, proved to be a tightly contested affair, with both sides exchanging leads before Wakefield ultimately pulled ahead in the closing stages.
Daryl Powell’s men entered the game sitting in fourth place on 36 points, just two points behind Warrington, who were perched on 38 points in third. By edging out the Wolves, Wakefield closed the gap to a single point, meaning they remain in contention for the coveted third‑place slot, provided they can pick up points in the final round. Conversely, Warrington now face a must‑win against Toulouse Olympique in Round 27 to cement their position.
The first half was dominated by the Wolves, who built a 14‑6 lead at the break. Leon Hayes opened the scoring with a penalty after just ten minutes, and he added another three minutes later following a late hit on the ball. Those two successful kicks gave Warrington a 4‑0 advantage. The home side responded in the 28th minute when Wakefield earned a penalty, moved the ball left‑handed, and Tom Johnstone slipped past Josh Smith to touch down.
Max Jowitt’s conversion nudged the hosts ahead 6‑4. Warrington quickly reclaimed the lead before the half‑hour mark.
A slick passing move to the right, orchestrated by George Williams, saw Josh Smith cross for a try, and Hayes converted from the touchline to make it 8‑6. The Wolves continued to press, and Williams produced a superb grubber kick that Matty Ashton leapt on in the corner. Hayes added the extra points, sending the visitors into the interval with a 14‑6 advantage.
The second half belonged to Wakefield. Isaiah Vagana exploded onto the scene, scoring two quick tries in succession. The first came from close range after a well‑timed break, and the second followed a thunderous run by Hall that set up Johnstone for a short‑range finish.
Max Jowitt added the conversions, swinging the score to 18‑14 in favour of the home side. Warrington refused to surrender.
Albert Hopoate dived over in the corner to level the scores at 18‑18, but Hayes missed the conversion, leaving the teams dead‑locked with about fifteen minutes to play. The tension in the packed stadium was palpable as both sets of supporters sensed a decisive moment was imminent. Wakefield seized the initiative when Cam Scott powered over from the back of a goal‑line dropout, exploiting a momentary lapse by Toby King.
Jowitt, who had been flawless with the boot all afternoon, added the conversion, extending the lead to 24‑18 with just under ten minutes remaining. The Wolves launched a final assault, but errors and missed opportunities hampered their progress.
Mason Lino then slotted a drop goal, pushing the margin to 25‑18 and effectively sealing the win for Wakefield. The result marked Wakefield’s seventh defeat of the season, but more importantly it kept their third‑place ambitions intact. The battle for the top‑four spots has become a war of attrition, with each team needing to extract every possible point from the remaining fixtures. In other Super League action on Saturday, the York Knights rallied in the second half to overcome the Catalans Dragons 28‑16 at Stade Gilbert Brutus.
After an early lead for Catalans, courtesy of a rapid try by Leo Darrelatour, York responded with a series of tries from Oliver Field, David Nofoaluma and a spectacular 80‑metre sprint by Liam Harris. The Knights’ momentum continued with a fourth try from Scott Galeano and a late strike by Paul Vaughan, securing a hard‑fought victory. The weekend’s fixtures underscored the intensity of the league’s closing stages. Sky Sports will continue to broadcast every Super League game live this season, with two matches each round shown exclusively on the main channel and the remaining fixtures available on Sky Sports+.