The Betfred Championship Semi-Finals get underway this weekend, with the final four ready to fight it out for a place in the Grand Final.
The fixture which gets the action underway will be Wakefield Trinity v York Knights (1st v 4th).
League Leaders Trinity come into this game on the back of a bye week and having secured home advantage. Daryl Powell’s men are hunting down a third trophy to add to their cabinet this season, but standing in their way are Mark Applegarth and his York Knights, who are not to be taken lightly.
The match will see the Betfred Championship Coach of the Year and Coach of the Year nominee face off, with both Powell and Applegarth having worked wonders with their respective sides.
Wakefield are unbeaten at the DIY Kitchens Stadium in 2024 and have lost one just match during the entire campaign. They have scored 1010 attacking points in total and are the team to beat in this year’s competition.
Max Jowitt recently moved into fourth place on the all-time list for most points in a season during Trinity's 72-6 home win against Doncaster on 29 September.
12 more points would see him level with Leeds Rhinos legend Lewis Jones in first and 16 points will ensure he is the first player in British Rugby League history to reach a total of 500 in a single season, which would be another incredible achievement for the club in 2024.
They have been pushed all the way by some of their opponents, however, including the Knights in Round 24.
There was little to separate the two sides back in their September encounter - Jowitt, Luke Gale and Jermaine McGillvary were on the scoreboard for Trinity through some impressive attack in the first forty, while Brad Ward crossed in the corner for York.
A huge defensive battle then unfolded in the second half, with Derrell Olpherts the only player to touch down. Trinity emerged 20-4 winners, but York will certainly have more confidence this time around knowing they can compete with the top side.
York have won an impressive 13 out of 17 matches under Applegarth’s tenure, who took the reigns in early June and guided the Knights to their highest finish since 2019.
They beat Widnes Vikings 27-10 in the Eliminators last week and have bulldozed their way to this year's Play-Offs with a string of remarkable performances.
The winner of this semi-final match will play either Toulouse Olympique or Bradford Bulls in the Grand Final.
Will Trinity move one step closer to completing a Championship treble? Or will the Knights cause a massive upset?
Betfred Championship Semi-Final 1:
Wakefield Trinity v York Knights, Sunday 13 October, (K.O. 3pm)
