WIGAN WARRIORS 6 WAKEFIELD TRINITY 33
STEPHEN IBBETSON, The Brick Community Stadium, Saturday

WAKEFIELD produced one of the biggest upsets in Super League play-off history to demolish treble-seeking Wigan and reach their first Grand Final.

Few gave them a chance of halting a 16-match winning run that stretched back to the Warriors’ Challenge Cup win in May.

But a forward pack led by Caleb Hamlin-Uele got the better of them and in the second half, sparked by Adam Keighran’s sin bin, ran riot.

It means there were will be a new winner on the trophy and one club will break a very long wait for a league championship – Wakefield’s last came in 1968, and Warrington’s in 1955.

After an intense first 15 minutes of set-for-set exchanges, Wakefield enforcer Jazz Tevaga’s sin bin for a trip on Liam Marshall opened things up.

While Tevaga was off, Trinity stopped Harry Smith under the posts but Brad O’Neill spotted disorganisation behind the ruck and capitalised for a try converted by Keighran.

But that proved Wigan’s only sustained attack of the first half, and they instead had to scramble to deny Lachlan Walmsley and Cameron Scott in the corner, then a Jack Sinfield break created by a Hamlin-Uele offload.

Tom Johnstone deservedly got Wakefield’s first points in the 31st minute, played into the corner by Jake Trueman and Max Jowitt.

The latter converted from the touchline, then added a penalty from almost 40 metres after a successful challenge for a tackle off the ball by Oliver Partington.

And Wigan were relieved to keep the deficit at 8-6 through to the break, not least when Scott made a break only to be denied by fullback Jai Field.

But Trinity came out with the same intensity in the second half and Keighran’s tip tackle on Isaiah Vagana, resulting in a yellow card, only further emboldened them.

They took immediate advantage of the missing man down Keighran’s flank as Trueman, Jowitt and Corey Hall combined to send Johnstone in for his second try of the game – and that was just the start.

Another penalty presented their next attack and Jack Sinfield chose to run himself on the last play to great success, able to reach out and dot the ball down as Wigan’s defence backed off.

And the 4,000 visiting fans were in dreamland when Hall surged in down the left for a try in seven devastating minutes, two of them converted by Jowitt for a 24-6 scoreline.

With 25 minutes still to play at that point, a Wigan comeback could not be discounted considering the skill in their ranks.

But that hope was extinguished by Ky Rodwell, who went in untouched from close range after Trueman’s pass at the line, with Jowitt subsequently adding another goal.

Wigan barely even threatened in the time that remained, their closest effort coming from Taylor Kerr whose footwork took him close to the line but not past rock-solid Jowitt.

And a remarkable result was completed by a field-goal by Mason Lino off the bench, then a penalty-goal by Jowitt.

GAMESTAR: Caleb Hamlin-Uele was immense in a team display full of brilliant performances.

GAMEBREAKER: Adam Keighran’s yellow card, and the three tries which followed it.

HIGHLIGHT REEL: The 4,000-strong and disbelieving Wakefield support in raptures after each of the four second-half tries in front of them.

MATCHFACTS

WARRIORS
1 Jai Field
38 Austin Daniel
3 Adam Keighran
2 Zach Eckersley
5 Liam Marshall
6 Bevan French
7 Harry Smith
8 Ethan Havard
9 Brad O’Neill
10 Luke Thompson
11 Junior Nsemba
17 Oliver Partington
13 Kaide Ellis
Subs (all used)
12 Liam Farrell
14 Sam Walters
15 Patrick Mago
25 Taylor Kerr
18th man (not used)
23 Kian McDermott
Also in 21-man squad
4 Jake Wardle
19 Jack Farrimond
41 Shea O’Connor

Tries: O’Neill (19)
Goals: Keighran 1/1
Sin bin: Keighran (46) – tip tackle

TRINITY
1 Max Jowitt
19 Lachlan Walmsley
3 Cameron Scott
4 Corey Hall
5 Tom Johnstone
6 Jake Trueman
20 Jack Sinfield
8 Mike McMeeken
9 Tyson Smoothy
10 Ky Rodwell
26 Zac Lipowicz
18 Isaiah Vagana
13 Jazz Tevaga
Subs (all used)
7 Mason Lino
14 Jay Pitts
15 Caleb Hamlin-Uele
16 Caius Faatili
18th man (not used)
17 Harvey Smith
Also in 21-man squad
21 Jayden Myers
23 Josh Rourke
24 Tray Lolesio

Tries: Johnstone (31, 46), Sinfield (49), Hall (53), Rodwell (59)
Goals: Jowitt 6/7
Field-goals: Lino (74)
Sin bin: Tevaga (15) – trip

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 6-6, 6-8; 6-12, 6-18, 6-24, 6-30, 6-31, 6-33

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Warriors: Brad O’Neill; Trinity: Caleb Hamlin-Uele

Penalty count: 3-7
Half-time: 6-8
Referee: Liam Moore
Attendance: 16,724