Wakefield Trinity came from 10-0 behind to win in dominant fashion against Catalans Dragons as Daryl Powell’s changes from the bench helped secure a brilliant win.
Trinity eventually ran out as 58 -10 winners as they scored 58 unanswered points in a sublime performance that was built around their incredible forward pack, with Caius Faatili the headliner as he scored a hat-trick.
The win means that Wakefield snap their two-game losing run and move to fourth, level on points with fifth-place Wigan Warriors, who overcame Leeds Rhinos.
Despite a rapid start from Catalans, Wakefield slowly clawed their way back to make it 10-10 at the break before then scoring a huge 48 points in the second half as Catalans collapsed under the pressure of Wakefield’s incredible pack.
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Wakefield Trinity and Catalans Dragons talking points
Wakefield pack changes win it
After an opening 10 minutes where Trinity got absolutely terrorised on their right edge, Daryl Powell rung the changes in his pack and it was in the forward pack that they won the game.
Caius Faatili, who will get his own dedicated write-up, and Caleb Hamlin-Uele were sent on in the first half and helped turn the tide with both men ending up on the scoresheet, however, they offered so much more than just four-pointers.
Trinity dominated Catalans through the middle and it got even worse when Trey Lolesio and Jazz Tevaga were unleashed in the second-half with Wakefield scoring 34 points inside the first 25 minutes of the second half as they dominated, with Tevaga scoring and Lolesio assisting a try for Jake Trueman.
Some will have questioned the omission of Harvey Smith on the bench but the impact that the four big forwards had will answer any and all questions as they truly did change the game.
Hat-trick hero Faatili
Not many props ever score hat-tricks but Caius Faatili can add himself to the list and even more incredible was the fact he did it inside 16 minutes.
His first saw him showcase his athleticism as he outpaced Charlie Staines to latch onto a Jake Trueman kick but it was his second that stole the show as he shrugged off three Catalans defenders to score from ten yards out, even if he did have to crawl the final five metres on his hands and knees.
His third was off the back of another Trueman kick and saw him rewarded with a well-earned rest, something that allowed Daryl Powell to unleash Jazz Tevaga who also went on to score.
Jake Trueman England reminder
After two losses in a row for Wakefield, the noise around Jake Trueman for England had quietened down but tonight’s performance was a firm reminder that he is a quality operator.
His pass for Jayden Myers’ try was exquisite as Trueman just saw the space and aired out the pass over the top, whereas his kick assist for Caius Faatili’s first try showed the dogged determination not to go down as well as the ability to execute a precise kick under pressure. He rounded off the performance with a deserved try of his own as he supported yet another break from the forward pack.
With George Williams a serious doubt for the World Cup, Jake Trueman surely has to be in consideration alongside Mikey Lewis to play six with potentially Harry Smith or Jake Connor at seven.
Pivotal missed kicks
From 10-0 up to a heavy defeat, plenty went wrong for Catalans but missed kicks at crucial times impacted them a lot. Toby Sexton had a relatively easy kick, by his standards, after his own try to make it 12-0 but failed.
He then had another relatively easy kick from a penalty to make it 12-6 but missed again, something that granted Wakefield a goal-line drop-out which Tyson Smoothy booted 80 metres up field and into touch to give Trinity the ball back.
Whilst they didn’t score from that, it was the gee-up that Wakefield needed and the hand-up that helped them get back into the game.
Catalans collapse after early dominance
Ryan Sheridan’s side clearly came with a game plan and they executed it brilliantly inside the first 15 minutes as they targeted the Wakefield right edge, in particular Mason Lino. The problem was they couldn’t execute the plan beyond those first 15 minutes.
Charlie Staines made and scored the first one as he turned a three v three into a two on one through his brilliant dummy and bullet pass to Tommy Makinson, who then swiftly returned the pass for Staines to run in untouched.
Just a minute later and it was Solomona Faataape to make the break after Catalans went on the short side. Half-back Toby Sexton was there in support in a near identical finish to help make it 10-0 after just 10 minutes.
Beyond that, they were so far off the pace with Wakefield slowly getting back into the game and once they were in it, Catalans simply didn’t want to know as they folded under the pressure of the home side. 58 unanswered points were a testament to that and highlight that Ryan Sheridan has plenty to work on for next week’s match.
.@WTrinityRL absolutely blow the Dragons away in the second half 🤯#SuperLeague pic.twitter.com/YasoTDmtCQ
— Betfred Super League (@SuperLeague) May 15, 2026
Eric T Cat
May 16, 2026 at 11:52 am
Sorry, but head and shoulders above the rest, the best pairing in the halves would be Mickey Lewis at 6 and Harry Smith at 7, with Jake Connor to come on as a replacement to cover across the backs. All three are winners, with winning mentality, they play like they own every blade of grass on the pitch, and can drop the ball on it with a kick. If I owned a club, along with Jez Litten, they’d be the players I’d want to build my team around. George Williams is a good player, but has led his team to…erm, nowt to put it bluntly, maybe next year it’s his year?
If you wanted an outlier for an England spot, Jack Broadbent, plays anywhere, gives everything, excels whenever called upon, and stepped up to play full back at hull KR since Arthur Morgue’s nasty injury against Brisbane.