Wakefield Trinity, on their day, can defeat anyone in the competition, according to Australian forward Caius Faatili, and their best this year is yet to come.
Trinity currently sit fourth in Super League, and should they keep that spot, or improve, by the end of the regular season, they would break a club record for their highest ever finish.
Winning 11 of 16 games so far, they are currently level on points with Wigan and St Helens, with the battle for the top four spots remaining as close as ever.
They only returned to the top flight last season, with their one-year stint in the Championship arguably the best thing they could have done, as it allowed them to rebuild under a new owner, develop their squad and have a new ambition of getting back to those glory days.
Come October, that glory could well return, with Trinity firmly in the running for a place in the Grand Final. It would take a huge effort, but their strong form this year has put them in a great position to do so.
However, forward Faatili and the rest of the Wakefield squad do believe that a win at Old Trafford is possible, however they refuse to get ahead of themselves.
What is clear to see, though, is how much the club have progressed over the past 18 months since their return to Super League, and how much optimism there is around the DIY Kitchens Stadium
Faatili spoke to Serious About Rugby League and its sister site, The Yorkshire Post, ahead of Magic Weekend, and revealed that the vibe around Belle Vue is driving them to success this season.
“I’ve said it since I got here, it’s been an awesome buzz around Wakey, and we’ve obviously got to take our hats off to our owners,” he said.
“Matt [Ellis, owner]’s done so much for the club, putting money into the facilities and even the players.
“There’s a buzz around Wakey, we’re just going up and up. I think they put in a five-year plan that we’re ahead of at the moment.
“We’re never really happy. If anything, that’s what the best teams do. You’re never happy, you’re always trying to grow more, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
That five-year plan consisted of Wakefield winning a Grand Final within five years of returning to the top flight. However, that goal could be achieved in the next three months, should they see out the season the way that they know they can.
“That’d be awesome,” Faatili said regarding winning the Grand Final and completing the plan early. “I’m not in the talks of that plan, I don’t actually know, but I know that we’re trying to build to something good.
“We’ve put the stepping stones in, and if we can be there or thereabouts at the end of the year, we’ll be excited for it anyway.”
He later added: “We’re still a team that’s growing, and I think to see where we’re at at the moment, I guess we’re pretty happy to be here, top four.
“It’s been good, a bit of a rocky start to the season, but I feel like if we can find some form coming into these later rounds, we will be tough to handle come finals.
“I think, as a club and as a team, we’re really looking forward to taking other teams to the sword.”
“When we’re on, we’re unbeatable” – Wakefield Trinity star ready to rip in as top four spot up for grabs
Asked about the group’s mindset going into the final chunk of the season, the enforcer said: “We’re confident.
“We’re confident that, on our day, if we turn up, we can beat any team. It’s just getting up for those big games as well.
“I feel like we probably haven’t had our best game of the season yet. We haven’t had a game where everyone’s on, and once we do that, we’ll definitely push these tough teams to the sword.
“I feel like the buzz around the squad is awesome. Everyone’s confident in their ability, and like I said, when we’re on, we’re unbeatable, I think.”
Trinity’s latest win saw them overcome a Huddersfield Giants side by the skin of their teeth, as Josh Rourke’s intercept sealed the game in the final few seconds.
The victory not only gave the side two points, but it also marked a significant step in their development, as perhaps last year a game like that would have got away from them.
“We talked a lot in the off-season about winning those tight games,” revealed Faatili. “I think we lost about six to eight games by six points last year. We talked about just turning those around those tight games where, maybe we’re not playing our best footy, but you’ve just got to be a bit nitty and gritty to get the job done.
“I feel like we’ve done that quite a bit this year just to get the two points, and it’s never pretty, rugby league’s never perfect, but if we can walk away with the two points, that’s the best at the end of the day.”
