Wakefield beat Leigh to reach first-ever Super League semi-final

Wakefield Trinity secured a first-ever Super League semi-final berth with a commanding 26-16 win over Leigh Leopards in a play-off eliminator.

The home side's forward pack drove the performance, with tries from Tyson Smoothy, Tom Johnstone, Isaiah Vagana and Caius Faatili. Max Jowitt added the goals, including a penalty that brought up his 500th career Super League point.

Leigh threatened a comeback when David Armstrong finished off a slick team move just before half-time, cutting the gap to six points. But Wakefield reasserted control after the break.

The result was unaffected by the sending-off of Wakefield forward Emre Guler, who was dismissed for punching an opponent, even as Leigh responded with further tries from Lachlan Lam and Innes Senior. Guler had only joined Wakefield last week ahead of a planned permanent move in 2027.

Wakefield head coach Daryl Powell said his side had dominated for long stretches without the scoreboard reflecting it, but that the players stayed composed after the red card and closed out the win. Leigh coach Adrian Lam pointed to costly errors in execution at key moments as the difference.

Wakefield had reached the Super League play-offs on four previous occasions but had never advanced past this stage, with Leigh having ended their run in the same fixture last season. Wakefield will now face either Leeds Rhinos or Wigan Warriors in the semi-final.