Wakefield fans could easily be forgiven for wondering how their side let this game slip through their fingers, as the Super League leaders Castleford overcame a 16-0 deficit to win by a single point.
Trinity had become the first team to hold Castleford scoreless in a half this season and were in prime position to add to their first-half tally. But a Wakefield knock-on early in the second half opened the door to Castleford and the Tigers duly scored. Nine minutes later, that 16-point lead had become a two-point deficit.
With Wakefield ahead by eight in the dying moments and Castleford at the point of no return, there was an almost inevitable sense of what would happen. A few minutes later, after Luke Gale’s winning drop goal, it was the Super League leaders punching the air, and Trinity crestfallen on the floor following the most dramatic of finishes.
It would be easy to suggest Castleford have been below the lofty standards they have set themselves in the last week or so: but that would be doing their opponents – Hull last week and Wakefield here – a massive disservice.
Yes, it is now Castleford first, daylight second and the chasing pack third as Tigers’ gap at the top of Super League stretched to 10. By recent standards, that is increasingly unassailable following a pulsating West Yorkshire derby only settled in the final moments. Even when Castleford are not quite right, they still manage to pull something out of the hat.
Wakefield remain firmly in the race for the top four, and indeed Old Trafford; that in itself is a fine illustration of the work done by Chris Chester at a club who were within a couple of minutes of the Championship two seasons ago. But, leading 16-0 at half-time and then 24-16 with nine minutes remaining, this was a missed opportunity for Trinity.
“I thought we were in for a good night but credit to them,” Chester said. “They’re a class side, and it shows how far we’ve come to be disappointed to lose.”
It looked like it would be Trinity’s night when they led following tries for Ben Jones-Bishop and Kyle Wood at half-time, coupled with four goals from the methodical boot of Liam Finn to make it 16-0. But when Joe Arundel spilled a simple pass 90 seconds after the break Greg Eden raced the length and turned the game on its head. Grant Millington and Mike McMeeken soon made it 18-16, but Wakefield would not give up.
Better sides have collapsed in the face of such exhilarating play: but it is credit to Wakefield that they eventually took the lead once again through a David Fifita try and two more Finn goals.
Jake Webster’s try levelled the game, before Gale’s drop goal settled a contest that perhaps would have been fairer to finish as a draw: not that Castleford will care, though.
Wakefield should be proud of how far they have come as a club – but good sides find a way to win: so in that regard, this was another emphatic tick in the box for the league leaders.
Wakefield Grix; Jones-Bishop, Arundel, Tupou, Caton-Brown; Williams, Finn; Walker, Wood, Huby, Ashurst, Hadley, Arona. Interchange Annakin, Hirst, England, Fifita.
Tries Jones-Bishop, Wood, Fifita. Goals Finn 6.
Castleford Hardaker; Minikin, Webster, Shenton, Eden; Roberts, Gale; Massey, McShane, Millington, Sene-Lefao, McMeeken, Milner. Interchange Lynch, Springer, Patrick, Foster.
Tries Eden, Millington, McMeeken, Webster. Goals Gale 4. Drop goal Gale (78).
Referee C Kendall. Attendance 6,430.
