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It was a foregone conclusion that Wakefield Trinity would lift the 1895 Trophy when the curtain came down on an exciting afternoon at Wembley as the final game saw them face a plucky Sheffield Eagles who are having an excellent league season.

Wakefield were 1/12 to lift the trophy, but you could get the Eagles 6/1 for a one-sided game if ever there was one, and when the teams met five weeks ago in the league, the West Yorkshire side were 36-10. winners.

Grit and determination were needed for the Eagles to get something out of this game and lift the Trophy for the second time in six years, but under the coaching of Mark Aston they would give it their all in their quest for victory.

It was the Eagles who kicked off, Trinity with the first use of the football.

A repeat set, quickly followed by a penalty and then a lay-off put Sheffield under immediate pressure in the opening minutes. But they withstood the pressure and after Wakefield were awarded a penalty they managed to clear their lines.

Nobody seemed to have told Sheffield they were going to lose the game and from the start they set about taking the ball to Wakefield and looking for the opening points.

On sixteen the Eagles took the lead with Anthony Thackeray shrugging off a tackle and coming back to ground under the watchful eye of the Trinity defence. Cory Aston added the extra for a 6-0 lead.

On twenty three Trinity turned defense into attack as Lachlan Walmsley leapt to make an interception on his own ten yard line and sprinted ninety yards to dive over the ten from the left upright. Max Jowitt added the conversion to level the scores at 6-6.

On four minutes, Luke Gale picked up the ball at first receiver, thanks to a neat pass from Liam Hood, to slot through a big gap in the Sheffield defense and dive over. Jowitt was in goal again for a 12-6 lead.

A Sheffield kick on the play, Aston coughed up possession on his own with ten seconds remaining and on the stroke of half-time Thomas Doyle got under the Eagles defenders to the ground. Jowitt’s goal made it 18-6 as Wakefield grabbed a crucial try just before the break on the back of a Sheffield error.

Wakefield had a hand on the trophy two minutes after the restart when Oliver Pratt scored in the left-hand corner after receiving a late pass from Jowitt at the rib. Jowitt was just wide with his conversion attempt but Sheffield now needed three converted tries.

Wakefield’s fifth try arrived on forty-eight minutes, Josh Griffin flattening Aston as he cleared for a try from ten yards. Jowitt added the conversion for 26-6, the floodgates felt like they had burst open.

It was just four minutes before Wakefield crossed again as Pratt managed to beat two attempted tackles without a hand on him. Jowitt added a fifth field goal to extend the lead to 34-6.

The Wakefield players were now lining up to score and next on the score sheet was Jermaine McGillvary who took a Jowitt pass to Summersault into the right corner for his seventh try of the afternoon on sixty two. Jowitt converted superbly from the touchline to pick up the forty.

Griffin took the second at sixty-five as the Eagles capitulated. A pass went to the ground, allowing Griffin to pick up the loose ball and run forty yards to the ground. Jowitt added another goal for 46-6, Wakefield were in devastating form.

McGillvary blasted his way down the right wing to bring up the fifty, leapfrogging the forwards and forcing the ball to the ground for his second of the game. Jowitt was big with the conversion try as Luke Gale was named Ray French Man of the Match.

A massive and expected win for Wakefield Trinity as they lift the 1895 Trophy in a match they have completely dominated and in a season where they are expected to see off the challenges of all before them as the seal of their return to topflight. Sheffield Eagles did well in the opening exchanges but once Trinity started scoring they were in no mood to stop as the Eagles couldn’t keep possession long enough to offer any sort of threat.

Wakefield Trinity: Jowitt (7/9 G), McGillvary (2T), Thornley, Pratt (2T), Walmsley (T), Gale (T), Lino, Bowden, Hood, Atoni, Ashurst, Griffin (2T), Pitts. Substitutions: Uele, Kay, Rodwell, Doyle (T). 18th Man: Bath.

Sheffield Eagles: Hansen, Jones-Bishop, Welham, Glover, Dawson-Jones, Aston (1/1 G), Thackeray (T), Battye, Halafihi, Dickinson, Bower, Farrell J, Gwaze. Substitutions: Clark, Murphy, Wood, Sene-Lefao. 18th Man: Hodgson.

Pause: 18-6.

Full time: 50-6.

Score progression: 0-4, 0-6, 4-6, 6-6, 10-6, 12-6, 16-6, 18-6 : HT: 22-6, 26-6, 28-6, 32-6, 34-6, 38-6, 40-6, 44-6, 46-6, 50-6:FT.

Lead Exchanges: Sheffield – Market – Wakefield.

Referee: Tom Grant.