Wakefield Trinity head coach Daryl Powell was left very impressed with both the spectacle but more specifically his side’s performance after a home win over Warrington Wolves.
Trinity trailed at the break but a quickfire Isaiah Vagana double put them ahead and helped lay the platform for a 25-18 win that looks likely to secure them a home play-off game.
Wakefield are now two points clear of Leigh, who they face next week, but Trinity have a points difference advantage of 54 meaning that so long as Daryl Powell’s side don’t lose by 28 points or more, they will land a home play-off game.
It’s likely that game will come against Leigh, the same side who ended Wakefield’s season in 2025 and Powell admitted to Sky Sports post-match that those memories can serve as motivation.
He said: “We’ve got Leigh next week, tough going away. That’s where we got knocked out of the play-offs last year, so there’s plenty of motivation for us and then it’s probably Leigh again, hopefully it’ll be here, and it should be two great games.”
On the fact they will likely have a home play-off game, he added: “It’s important, I think. You get to this time of year and the games look a little bit different. I thought it started that today, it’s a little bit less control, a bit more chaotic.
“To do that today I thought was great for us. We’ve had a couple of tough results over the last four or five games and today was us getting back somewhere near where we want to be.”
RIP Sir Billy, under-the-radar challengers, Hull KR’s controversial call and more – Click here to watch this week’s episode of the Serious About Rugby League Show
Wakefield Trinity boss beams over standout second-half performance
As for the game itself, Powell picked it out as a standout game of rugby league and whilst he didn’t love his side’s opening 40, he was very impressed with how they finished.
“It was a great game, wasn’t it? Both teams came to play and you couldn’t tell who was going to win until right to the end.
“I thought it was a great game of Rugby League. A little bit scrappy first half from us in a chaotic game, I thought, and then we got a bit more control. I thought our intensity and ball-carrying in the second half was outstanding.”
In knocking off Warrington, Wakefield reassert themselves as contenders as they’d previously lost to Leeds, St Helens and Wigan, whereas Wire had won six in a row before today.
“Warrington have been in great form”, Powell highlighted.
“They’ve got George [Williams] back, who’s a real threat. They cause you troubles with the speed on the edges. They’re a difficult team to play against and we knew we had to be really good today.
“I don’t think we were at our best in the first half, but second half, I thought it was an outstanding performance.”
Trinity turn it around to defeat the Wolves ⚜️#SuperLeague pic.twitter.com/MhoMQLQENu
— Betfred Super League (@SuperLeague) September 5, 2026
