Jazz Tevaga, Jayden Myers and Oliver Pratt tries help Wakefield Trinity beat Leigh Leopards for third successive win

Jazz Tevaga, Jayden Myers and Oliver Pratt were all on the trysheet as Trin overcame their 2025 nemesis in an action-packed game.

The trio of tries - one in the first half and two in the second - gave Wakefield a seemingly healthy 18-4 lead before two late Leigh tries gave the scoreline a much closer look.

Leigh were certainly Wakey’s bogey side last season, having beaten them on three out of four occasions - and twice here at Belle Vue. They also inflicted the play-off defeat which ultimately ended their exceptional first year back in Super League.

Trin went some way in avenging that tonight.

In a first half where both teams had the momentum at certain points, Trin made Leigh pay after their first error in the opening ten minutes with Tevaga crashing over from close range after a great short pass from Tyson Smoothy.

It was a fabulous sight to see the former NRL stars and new signings combine, with Tevaga notching his try in the blue of Wakefield.

Smoothy was back in the line-up after an enforced two-week absence following a head knock at Warrington Wolves. As was Max Jowitt who replaced Josh Rourke at full-back, and the homegrown talent easily knocked over the conversion.

The try seemed to awaken Leigh who started to come into this contest. Tom Johnstone, on his 200th career appearance, had to be alert to intercept a Lachlan Lam pass, while Jack Hughes was held up on the line by a determined Wakefield defence.

Back came Trin with a sustained spell of pressure - and what looked like their second try of the evening. But Myers’ effort - after Jack Sinfield and Jake Trueman combined well, with the latter providing a sumptuous looping pass to the young winger - was ruled out when he was shown to have been taken into touch before he could ground the ball.

The home side were able to add to their tally when Jowitt nudged them further ahead - 8-0 - with a penalty after Sinfield was caught with a high shot.

But after winning the ball back straight from the restart, the Leopards were able to get on the board with Gareth O’Brien going over after good work from Adam Cook. Cook, however, was unable to make the conversion.

Fanitesi Niu had a chance to get Leigh level before half-time but he fumbled the ball at the vital moment.

There was to be no after-the-hooter-drama after two Oliver Pratt tries in the previous two wins over Hull FC in Super League and then in last week’s Challenge Cup fourth round success over Leeds Rhinos - tries which changed the course of those two games.

The drama, instead, came within the first 70 seconds of the second half.

At the end of their first attacking set, Caius Faatili went high with a kick which Smoothy was able to nudge further forward, and Myers pounced on the loose ball to make it 12-4. There was no doubt about this one.

At the other end, Jowitt, who missed the conversion, came up with a try-saving tackle to deny Niu on the line before Johnstone was denied a try on his milestone appearance after making a 70 metre dash to the line.

Jowitt, with the help of Pratt, then made another last-ditch tackle to thwart Innes Senior before he attempted to set up Cam Scott but the centre could not control the ball.

In a game where the video ref was called into action on multiple occasions, Leigh thought they were back in the frame when Frankie Halton touched down but it was chalked off for a knock-on in the build-up.

Trin were able to get a bit of daylight after Hughes was sent to the sin bin after hauling back Isaiah Vagana when he looked certain to score. But Pratt made the numerical advantage count in the very next set when he flew down the wing after being found by Jowitt.

Leigh, who had won eight of the pair’s last ten meetings in all competitions, continued to battle and a Josh Charnley try gave the visitors some very slight hope, before Jacob Alick-Wiencke’s converted try with just 16 seconds left set up a very nervy last set for Trinity to defend.

But they held on for a deserved third consecutive victory in all competitions.

Wakefield: Jowitt, Johnstone, Pratt, Scott, Myers, Trueman, Sinfield, McMeeken, Smoothy, Rodwell, Nikotemo, Vagana, Tevaga

Interchanges: Storton, Pitts, Hamlin-Uele, Faatili

Tries: Tevaga, Myers, Pratt

Conversions: Jowitt (2)

Penalties: Jowitt

Leigh: O’Brien, Senior, Niu, Hughes, Charnley, Cook, Lam, Trout, McNamara, Mulhern, Halton, Alick-Wiencke, Liu

Interchanges: Davis, Horne, Brogan, Brown

Tries: O’Brien, Charnley, Alick-Wiencke

Conversions: Cook

Referee: Chris Kendall

Attendance: 7,552