Hull KR are still waiting to confirm top spot in the Betfred Super League after being bludgeoned 28-12 by brilliant Wakefield at a sold-out DIY Kitchens Stadium.
With the League Leaders’ Shield at their mercy, Rovers delivered by far their worst performance of the season, as the hosts blazed into a 26-0 half-time lead to set up a win that takes them to the brink of the play-offs.
Willie Peters’ out-of-sorts Rovers must now revive themselves and beat Warrington in their last match of the regular season at Craven Park next week to ensure they enter the post-season in first place.
Wakefield, inspired by the returning Max Jowitt, who scored a try and kicked 12 points in a near-faultless display, know a win at bottom club Salford on Friday will be enough to seal a top six spot in their first season back in the top flight.
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Rovers were staggeringly off the pace right from the start, even if Jake Trueman relied on a fortunate ricochet to scoot under the posts and open the scoring after five minutes.
Only Jack Broadbent’s saving tackle denied Jayden Myers and Rovers continued to cough up errors, Jowitt adding a penalty after the visitors were caught offside.
Wakefield were unrecognisable from the side that lost at Castleford last week and they doubled their lead on 20 minutes when Mason Lino passed through the static Rovers line with ridiculous ease.
There was no response from Rovers and even Mikey Lewis got in on the act, his bodged interception leaving Jowitt to skip through for Wakefield’s third.
A crashing Tom Davies challenge stopped Jowitt scoring another but Trinity still had time to wrap up a dream-like first period when the full-back sent Cam Scott skipping over, his conversion taking the half-time score to 26-0.
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Inevitably Rovers had more about them after break and they got on the scoresheet soon after the restart when Arthur Mourgue zipped over in their first clear attacking play, before duly adding the conversion.
The exceptional Jowitt denied Jai Whitbread as Rovers belatedly piled on the pressure. Another successful kick from Jowitt took Wakefield 28-6 up with a quarter of an hour remaining.
Oliver Gildart slapped down a kick from Lewis to score Rovers’ second with less than 10 minutes left but by then the visitors’ hopes of wrapping up the title with a game to spare had long gone.
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Powell: ‘A big game for us’
Wakefield Trinity head coach Daryl Powell…
“It was a big game for us. We were pretty poor last week and we knew we needed to improve. I thought that first half was the best we played all year.
“We had to hang tough. Hull KR are obviously an outstanding team.
“We know that when we’re on and everybody’s tuned into the game we can challenge anybody.
“I just thought it was an outstanding effort from us.”
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Hull KR head coach Willie Peters…
“That first half was terrible, absolutely terrible. Not a lot to say about it really.
“They beat us in every area… We need to have a good look at ourselves, that’s for sure.
“We lacked an intent and want in every area, and we had a lot to play for.
“It’s concerning.”
Hull FC keep play-off hopes alive
Hull FC kept their Betfred Super League play-off hopes alive with a resounding 34-2 thrashing of Warrington at the MKM Stadium.
Hull sit one point behind Wakefield whose home win over leaders Hull KR gave them the advantage going into the final round of games.
Tries by Lewis Martin, Denive Balmforth, Aidan Sezer and Harvey Barron saw Hull well in control at half-time.
The first three of those scores came with Wolves’ Lachlan Fitzgibbon in the sin bin.
Zak Hardaker converted the first three tries against a Warrington side who had taken the lead courtesy of former Hull star Marc Sneyd’s early penalty.
Jordan Lane scored try number five and then Hardaker also crossed as the home side dominated their lacklustre opponents. Both tries were converted by Hardaker.
Cartwright: ‘Most complete home performance’
Hull FC head coach John Cartwright…
“It was a performance we’ve been trying to put on at home for a while.
“We defended our lines strong and the enthusiasm of youth it’s hard to put a figure on it. I think we had 11 local boys in the 17.
“The pleasing thing was we held tight on our try line throughout the 80 minutes. It was probably our most complete home performance this year.”
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