The Yorkshire club have won the title for the very first time after beating Warrington Wolves 23-10 in the Grand Final at Old Trafford. It marks a historic achievement for Wakefield Trinity, who were relegated in 2023 before returning to Super League in the 2025 season.
Wakefield’s victory adds their name to the list of six clubs that have claimed the Super League title, alongside Wigan Warriors, St Helens, Leeds Rhinos, Bradford Bulls and Hull KR. The achievement is all the more striking given that they reached the Grand Final for the first time and had fallen from the top division just two years earlier.
The Half-Time Lead
Wakefield took control early and never let it slip. They led 19-0 at the break thanks to tries from Cameron Scott, Isaiah Vagana and Jazz Tevaga, all converted by Max Jowitt. Jack Sinfield added a drop goal with less than two minutes left in the first half, giving Wakefield a 19-0 lead and leaving Warrington with a mountain to climb.
In the sixth minute, Tom Johnstone crossed in the corner for an opening try, yet the official decided he had been impeded and pushed into touch. Six minutes after that, Lachlan Walmsley fed Scott with a sublime no-look, one-handed flick pass, and Jowitt’s conversion handed Wakefield a 6-0 advantage.
In the 25th minute, Jake Trueman’s pressure kick saw Johnstone jump highest and find Vagana on his shoulder, and Jowitt added the extras again. Just over 10 minutes later, Tyson Smoothy went close before Tevaga threw a dummy and used his power to barrel over. Jowitt stayed perfect with the boot to extend the lead.
Drama in the Second Half
The second half brought tension. Corey Hall was sent to the sin bin for a high shot on Arron Lindop early on, giving Warrington their opportunity to hit back. With Wakefield a man down, Lindop scored, and Ewan Irwin converted to bring the scoreline to 19-6.
Matty Ashton appeared to bring Warrington back into contention minutes after the first try was ruled out, but officials spotted a forward pass and waved it off. The ruling kept the game out of balance, and with numbers evened up, Wakefield took control once more.
Caleb Hamlin-Uele put in a big metres’ worth of work before passing it to Johnstone, who then used his step to produce a sensational finish. The score reached 23-6 with 20 minutes remaining, and the Wakefield end was bouncing.
The Finish
Warrington refused to give up. With eight minutes left on the clock, they kept the last tackle alive. Irwin sent over a looping pass and Lindop was in for his second try, but Irwin could not convert, leaving the score at 23-10.
When the final horn sounded, Wakefield held firm, and the full-time bell marked their place upon the Super League trophy.
The Individual Performances
Tom Johnstone was the best player for Wakefield, winning the Rob Burrow Award for an outstanding performance in both attack and defence. His try near the end was a remarkable finish, and he was at the centre of everything Wakefield did well.
Throughout the game, Max Jowitt did not miss a single kick from the tee, staying perfect with his conversions, while also adding a drop goal in the opening half. In his post-match remarks, he reflected on the ups and downs of the season he has endured.
“It didn’t feel real that we were playing a Grand Final until we got here today,” Jowitt said. “A rollercoaster of a year for me personally after dropping down to the reserves, not finding form, but I got my opportunity at the back end of the year.
“For this to be my last game for Wakefield, I will never forget it.”
A Story Worth Telling
This was a fairy tale for Wakefield. They were relegated in 2023, returned to Super League in 2025, and now they have written themselves into the history books as champions.
Jowitt had a hard time during the season, drawing on his reserves and fighting for form before he finally got his chance toward the end of the campaign. The ups were enough to make the downs worthwhile, in his own view.
The victory caps a remarkable tale for the club, with the supporters at Old Trafford electric throughout. Wakefield maintained a dominant lead, remained calm under pressure, and never allowed Warrington back into the contest.
Here is how the tries unfolded:
- Cameron Scott’s try came from Lachlan Walmsley’s sublime no-look, one-handed flick pass.
- Isaiah Vagana’s try followed Jake Trueman’s pressure kick, with Johnstone jumping highest to find him.
- Jazz Tevaga’s try came after throwing a dummy and using his power to barrel over.
The key moments from the fixture were:
- Tom Johnstone’s try in the corner was ruled out for being impeded.
- Matty Ashton’s try was waved off for a forward pass.
- Arron Lindop scored twice, with Ewan Irwin converting the first.
- Jack Sinfield added a drop goal in the opening half.
- Caleb Hamlin-Uele’s big metres’ worth of work set up Johnstone’s sensational finish.
- Corey Hall was sent to the sin bin for a high shot on Arron Lindop.
Every single try and key moment from the fixture is up on skysports.com, so you can watch the whole match again there.
Wakefield has claimed the trophy, and the club’s name appears upon it for the very first time in the club’s history.
Source material: “Wakefield claim historic win over Warrington to become Super League champions,” Sky Sports.
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