Wakefield stun Wigan 33-6 to reach first Super League Grand Final
Wakefield Trinity hammered Wigan Warriors 33-6 on 26 September to reach their first Super League Grand Final.
The play-off semi-final at the Brick Community Stadium in Wigan was balanced at 8-6 to Wakefield at half-time. Then the visitors cut loose with four second-half tries to silence the home crowd.
Winger Tom Johnstone scored twice. Jack Sinfield, Corey Hall and Ky Rodwell added the others as Wakefield piled up points after the break, according to BBC Sport. The match kicked off at 5.30pm and was shown live on Sky Sports.
In rugby league a try, touching the ball down over the line, is worth four points. Full-back Max Jowitt kicked six goals, each worth two points, and half-back Mason Lino added a drop-goal, a kick through the posts from open play worth one point. Wigan’s only reply was a try from Brad O’Neill and a goal from Adam Keighran.
The scoreline ended Wigan’s season with a jolt. They arrived on a 16-game winning run and had already lifted the Challenge Cup and the League Leaders’ Shield, the prize for finishing top of the regular table. Defeat ended their bid for the treble of all three trophies and denied them a fourth straight Grand Final appearance.
Discipline hurt both sides. Wigan centre Keighran was sin-binned, sent to the sidelines for 10 minutes, for a late tackle on Isaiah Vagana. Wakefield forward Jezz Tevaga was also sin-binned for a trip on Liam Marshall. Liam Moore was the referee.
What makes this stand out is how fast Wakefield have risen. They were playing in the Championship, the division below Super League, in 2024. Under owner Matt Ellis and coach Daryl Powell they beat Leigh Leopards to reach a first Super League semi-final, then beat the champions-elect.
For fans, this means a fresh final. Wakefield will face Warrington Wolves in the Grand Final, the sport’s title decider, at Old Trafford on 3 October. Warrington have lost all four Grand Finals they have played, most recently in 2018. Only five clubs have won the Grand Final since it began in 1998, with Hull KR the reigning champions after their 2025 victory.
There is family history too. Jack Sinfield will play in a Grand Final 11 years after his father Sir Kevin Sinfield made the last of his eight Grand Final appearances. Sir Kevin won seven titles with Leeds Rhinos. Powell knows the pain of this stage, having led Castleford Tigers to defeat in the 2017 Grand Final.
