Wakefield Trinity climb to third in the Super League table after a huge win over Hull KR at Craven Park.
The 20-6 result means that Trinity have now done the double over the Robins this season, after the reverse fixture earlier in the season also went the way of Wakefield thanks to a late Mason Lino try.
After a low-quality first half, the travelling side turned the screw in the second half and were able to take control. Caius Faatili added two tries, whilst penalty goals from stand-in goal kicker Tyson Smoothy were equally as crucial.
The Robins put in their worst performance of the season, as they failed to score a try in a game for the first time since the 2024 Grand Final defeat to Wigan.
The defeat now leaves the Robins sixth, and level on points with Leigh Leopards, who after a victory over Castleford earlier today, put some real pressure on KR in the coming weeks.
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Hull KR v Wakefield Trinity talking points
Robins rocked as Craven Park silenced:
For the first time since June 2025, KR were defeated at Craven Park, ending an impressive unbeaten run of games won at home. It was a sublime effort to do so from Wakefield, who put Willie Peters’ side to the sword in the second 40 after an even first half.
Whilst Wakefield definitely deserve credit, some serious questions need to be asked of Rovers, who had an off-day in one of the most crucial games of the season so far.
The atmosphere of Craven Park is often a deciding factor in close games such as these, but Wakefield seemingly drowned that out, and were able to get under the skin of the KR players, who couldn’t get the job done and produced a poor showing in front of the faithful.
Caius causes chaos:
Faatili’s two tries proved to be the difference between the two sides, as the impact sub certainly made his mark on the game. He entered the fray in place of Ky Rodwell after his first-half sin-bin, and put in an immense stint which resulted in two tries just short of the hour mark.
Both he and Caleb Hamlin-Uele are now known to be those bench players that enter the action against tired packs and continue the platform set by Mike McMeeken and Ky Rodwell.
The question was posed post-match that Faatili is now Wakefield’s new David Fifita, and it’s hard to argue against that statement, given both his work on the field and personality off it.
Trin’s risk-averse halves selection:Â
Following Daryl Powell’s post-match press conference, all signs pointed to Myles Lawford making his Super League debut, and whilst that did happen, the feeling was that he would start the game alongside Jake Trueman.
Maybe it was the stature of the game or the fact it was at the hostile Craven Park, but Powell made perhaps a cautious decision in starting hooker Tyson Smoothy alongside Trueman, with Lawford named on the bench.
That call would only be proven right or wrong at full-time, but in the opening 50 minutes when Smoothy was at seven, the Wakefield attack looked as though it was missing something.
However, what Smoothy lacked in creativity, he made up for in experience, and his points from the boot were pivotal. It also allowed Harvey Smith to have a real impact on the game from nine, with his speed and agility from the ruck allowing Trinity to get on the front foot.
Ill-discipline leads to scrappy first half:
Both sides conceded five penalties in the first half, meaning there was a penalty awarded, on average, every four minutes. The game was incredibly stop-start, and didn’t allow either side to gain any real momentum.
Interestingly, and quite surprisingly, four of the 10 penalties were conceded by the team in possession, with referee Chris Kendall penalising players for dissent in and around the ruck.
Elliot Minchella and Mikey Lewis were penalised for KR, whilst Josh Rourke was the perpetrator for Wakefield. Minchella was also penalised for changing the path of his run to make contact with a Wakefield marker as he went to get back onside.
Wakefield were able to get to grips with that in the second half, but Hull KR could not, and basic errors that fall well below Super League standard were huge factors in today’s outcome.
