Wakefield Trinity have secured a place in the Super League semi-finals for the first time in their history, defeating Leigh Leopards 26-16 in the play-off eliminator.
Under the guidance of Daryl Powell, the hosts produced a commanding performance to advance to the final four. Their victory came as a response to a regular-season defeat against Leigh the previous week, with tries from Tyson Smoothy, Tom Johnstone, Isaiah Vagana, and substitute Caius Faatili proving decisive.
Leigh threatened to stay in contention before the interval when David Armstrong crossed for a high-quality try, reducing the margin to six points. However, Wakefield’s pack dominated the second half to maintain control of the fixture.
The home side faced a challenge when forward Emre Guler was sent off in the 60th minute following an incident that appeared to be a punch. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Leigh were unable to close the gap significantly, though late tries from Lachlan Lam and Innes Senior provided some consolation for the visitors.
Wakefield goalkeeper Jowitt successfully converted five goals to reach the team total of 26 points. For Leigh, Cook added two conversions to go with Armstrong’s try, while the final scoreline reflected Wakefield’s superior set-piece execution.
Wakefield will now await the result of the other semi-final qualifying match to determine their opponent, who will be either Leeds Rhinos or Wigan Warriors. The match was officiated by referee Chris Kendall.
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