With the Championship title already secured, Wakefield were looking to hone their play-off strategy as the faced one of the sides which they might come up against in the end of season jamboree when it starts in a few weeks’ time, York RLFC Knights.
York still have aspirations of a top four finish and a home tie in the play-offs but they would need to beat the side who destroyed them by 50-6 in the league earlier in the season and who knocked them out of the AB Sundecks with a 40-4 scoreline.
It was Trinity who were the massive favourites for the win with York being given a twenty-two-point start on the coupon.
York started brightly but went behind on seven minutes with Ian Thornley braking through the line and passing to the supporting Max Jowitt to run in under the sticks to score. Jowitt added the conversion for a 6-0 lead, the Wakefield bandwagon rolled on.
On eleven it was Jermaine McGillvary’s turn to break the line and sprint down the wing before finding Luke Gale inside to cross for the try. Jowitt added the conversion for a 12-0 lead.
York stemmed the tide on eighteen when Brad Ward took an Ata Hingano miss-out pass, spun by the touchline, and dotted down in the corner. The conversion was missed, York still eight adrift.
It took another sixteen minutes of frustration for the home side before they finally managed to break York down again, this time by the right touchline as McGillvary took a Jowitt long pass to dive in at the corner. Jowitt was wide with his conversion attempt, Wakefield with a 16-4 advantage.
York went closest to improving their score on forty-four, but a great defensive effort kept the line intact. The sides were deadlocked for the first thirty-nine minutes of the second half, York with the best of possession and position but unable to break through for their second try. With one-minute remaining Derrell Olpherts took a Jowitt pass to score in the corner for 20-4. Jowitt was wide with his conversion attempt for a final score of 20-4, Wakefield cruising comfortably to the victory.
It was a twenty-third win in twenty-four league games for Wakefield Trinity as they confirmed their ‘favourites’ tag for promotion, Daryl Powell’s side sweeping away all before them as they charge back towards Super League for 2025. York had bright moments throughout the game but over eighty they were no match for a Trinity side who are justifiable favourites to clean up in 2024.
Wakefield Trinity: Jowitt (T, 2/2 G), McGillvary (T), Thornley, Pratt, Olpherts (T), Gale (T), Kay, Bowden, Doyle, Atoni, Ashurst, Griffin. Pitts. Subs: Uele, Walmsley, Rodwell, Vagana. 18th Man: Cozza.
York RLFC Knights: Brown, Lineham, Field, Law, Ward (T), Williams, Hingano, Michael, Jubb, Martin, Bailey, Gannon, Thompson. Subs: Teanby, Santi, Daley, Antrobus. 18th Man: Reynolds.
Half-Time: 16-4.
Full-Time: 20-4.
Score Progression: 4-0, 6-0, 10-0, 12-0, 12-4, 16-4 : HT: 20-4 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: Wakefield.
Referee: James Vella.
