Wakefield Trinity one win away from League Leaders’ Shield after beating Widnes Vikings

After York Knights’ eye-catching 20-12 triumph in Toulouse yesterday, Trin knew that just four points from their final seven games would see them over the line to secure top spot in the Championship.

And they are now halfway there thanks to tries from Ky Rodwell, Derrell Olpherts, Liam Hood, Jermaine McGillvary, Max Jowitt and Lachlan Walmsley gave them a routine win over the play-off chasing Vikings, who went toe-to-toe with Trinity for the first 50 minutes.

It’s two defeats on the bounce now for Widnes who will be looking nervously over their shoulders as they strive to cling on to their place in the end of season extravaganza.

York and Doncaster - along with Featherstone Rovers and Batley Bulldogs - are closing in having beaten Toulouse in successive weeks to bolster their own chances of a top six finish. Ironically, if Wakey had won in France last month to maintain their 100 per cent record, they would have sealed the League Leaders’ Shield today.

In all honesty, however, any rugby league fan who has been casting an eye over proceedings in the second tier in 2024 would have told you it was always going to be a case of when, not if, Wakefield would seal top spot.

That may now come next Sunday when they take on Halifax Panthers.

For this one, Daryl Powell made just the one change to the starting 13 from last Friday’s 42-6 win against Sheffield Eagles with Liam Kay coming in for Luke Gale, and Harvey Smith coming onto the bench.

And they started brightly on an overcast and blustery West Yorkshire afternoon with Luke Bain being held up on the line and Hood spilling the ball just as he was about to spin for a try in the opening ten minutes.

The home side had more of the ball but they weren’t displaying the clinical qualities which have seen them storm to the top of the Championship table. They were sloppy with their passing, epitomised when Jowitt rifled a pass into Walmsley’s face.

But despite a few uncharacteristic errors, Trin hit the front when Rodwell powered over from close range after steaming onto a Jay Pitts pass.

The try seemed to spark Powell’s men into life as they then worked the ball neatly up the field, resulting in a lovely offload by Rodwell but Jowitt knocked on.

That spark was extinguished as soon as it had been lit, as errors continued to creep into Trin’s game. And Widnes, after a rare forage forward, took advantage of Wakefield’s somewhat vulnerability. The visitors forced repeat sets and ended with Zach Bardsley-Rowe throwing a shoulder and dummying his way over the line.

Max Roberts then broke free and looked certain to score, only for Jowitt to make a last-ditch tackle. But Wakey’s defence were punished for offside, allowing Tom Gilmore, who had missed the conversion attempt, levelling the match at 6-6.

But it was Wakefield who headed to the sheds with a 10-6 half-time lead after Olpherts collected Jowitt’s pass and went over in the corner for his sixth try in just four games - and an 18th try of the 2024 Championship season which, temporarily, put him out on his own at the top of the league’s try scoring charts.

Trinity started the second half like they ended the first - on the front foot. A McGillvary grubber kick caused panic behind the sticks with Jack Owens having to put the ball dead despite claims for a try.

But after a high shot resulted in another set of six, Pitts offloaded to Hood who went over.

The Vikings refused to go away easily though as a cut-out ball found Reagan Sumner who flew over in the far corner, reducing the deficit to just four points.

But after Jowitt’s penalty made it 18-12, there was no stopping the League Leaders’ Shield-winners-in-waiting.

McGillvary went over in the corner after receiving a pass from Iain Thornley before the winger assisted Jowitt, who, in between these tries which took the game well and truly out of Widnes’ reach, knocked over another penalty.

Walmsley burst through to make it 36-12 as he rejoined Olpherts on top of the try scoring charts.

Personal milestones, however, will certainly not be the talking point next week at The Shay as a win for Wakefield against Fax will secure their top-of-the-pile status in the Championship.

Wakefield: Walmsley, McGillvary, Thornley, Pratt, Olpherts, Jowitt, Kay, Rodwell, Hood, Bain, Ashurst, Griffin, Pitts

Interchanges: Boothroyd, Doyle, Shaw, Smith

Tries: Rodwell, Olpherts, Hood, McGillvary, Jowitt, Walmsley

Conversions: Jowitt (4)

Penalties: Jowitt (2)

Widnes: Owens, Ince, Fleming, Bardsley-Rowe, Sumner, Lyons, Gilmore, Murray, Johnstone, Bent, Roberts, Lannon, Wilde

Interchanges: Brooks, Grady, Green, Kirk

Tries: Bardsley-Rowe, Sumner

Conversions: Gilmore

Penalties: Gilmore

Attendance: 5,036