Wakefield Trinity v Leeds Rhinos preview: Belle Vue will be ‘rocking’ on Friday night in top two Super League clash
Wakefield Trinity head coach Daryl Powell expects Belle Vue to be “rocking” on Friday night when his side entertains Leeds Rhinos in a top-of-the-table Super League clash (kick off 8pm).
Second placed Trin will be looking for an incredible eighth consecutive victory in the Round 22 contest which would put them level on 34 points with the Rhinos at the league’s summit.
“We’re in a top-two game deep into the season and it is an unbelievable thing to be saying,” admitted Powell to Sky Sports after seeing Trin win for the seventh straight game in southern France at Catalans Dragons last Saturday.
“We have got a great opportunity. We are keeping our feet on the ground but the place is going to be rocking. It will be a full house, the fireworks and everything that comes with it. But we have just got to do our job.”
And Powell does not underestimate the test his side will be in for on Friday against a Rhinos side with only one defeat in their previous ten games.
The pair have also met twice in 2026 with the Rhinos coming out on top in the reverse fixture at Headingley in May, although Trin had earlier knocked them out of the Challenge Cup at the DIY Kitchens Stadium.
“We know it will be a tough challenge,” he said. “Leeds have been unbelievable this year with players who have been playing consistently well and they are very, very tough to beat.
“We have had two games against them this year and we’re 50/50, so the bragging rights are at stake on Friday night.”
And there will be more big games to come for Wakefield, with St Helens, Wigan Warriors, Warrington Wolves, and Leigh Leopards all on the upcoming calendar.
Powell said: “These games are all big games coming up. We’re going to be tested and if we can front up and do our jobs then we’re in a great place.
“We are fighting tooth and nail every week, there’s a lot of quality and fluidity about the team, and we have proven that we can win in different ways.
“We have got some key challenges to come but it is very exciting for all of us. The club itself is obviously growing. There is a belief amongst the players and they are confident in what they are doing and the way they are playing and the way they are defending and they just love each other’s company.
“You can see that on and off the field. There is a real vibe about us but we don’t need to get too carried away. There are some really stiff challenges and we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves.
“We just need to keep doing what we have been doing.”