Wakefield Trinity 26 Leigh Leopards 16: Daryl Powell's side on brink of history after answering big question

This was the night they announced themselves as a genuine force.

A club that spent so long looking up from the wrong end of the table now find themselves 80 minutes from a place in the Grand Final after a landmark play-off victory over Leigh Leopards.

Their fourth-place finish was already the best in Trinity's Super League history but this win provided the proof that Daryl Powell's side can handle the weight of expectation and deliver when the stakes are highest.

There had been questions about whether Wakefield could translate their impressive league campaign into knockout rugby. They had never reached a Super League semi-final before.

Now they have. There is still work to do but this was the clearest evidence yet of the club's transformation.

Trinity lost to Leigh in last year's eliminators and had also been beaten in two other quarter-finals. They have now cleared that mental hurdle and gone where no Wakefield side have gone before.

Whether they head to Leeds Rhinos or Wigan Warriors in next week's semi-finals, Powell's men will do so with the belief that Old Trafford is no longer beyond them.

In their first play-off at Belle Vue since 2009, Trinity fulfilled the promise they have shown ever since their return to Super League at the start of last year.

Wakefield earned home advantage by beating Leigh in the final round of the regular season - and that proved crucial in the final reckoning.

Trinity were good value for their 12-6 half-time lead backed by a partisan crowd.

It would have been even healthier but for a switch-off on the stroke of the interval that allowed David Armstrong to coast over out of nowhere.

Such was Trinity's dominance, it took Leigh half an hour to get a look at their line.

Wakefield were 12-0 up and in control after a confident start.

Max Jowitt got the scoreboard moving with an early penalty before the departing Tyson Smoothy stamped his mark on the tie. After booting a 40/20 to take Trinity within range, the Australian hooker dummied his way over from close range.

Wakefield scored again when Tom Johnstone finished expertly in the corner to punish an error from Adam Cook - but the late twist left the game in the balance at half-time.

Trinity showed how far they have come to stop Leigh's comeback dead in its tracks after the break.

Caius Faatili was the difference-maker for Wakefield, setting up Isaiah Vagana's rampaging effort with a strong carry before powering over himself.

Not for the first time this season, Faatili and fellow prop Caleb Hamlin-Uele left the field with Trinity in a strong position.

Only a moment of madness from Emre Guler opened the door to the Leopards.

Desperate to maintain the intensity shown by his fellow middles, the recent signing hit out at Owen Trout in possession and received his marching orders.

Lachlan Lam set up a nervy finish when he collected Trout's offload to race over from halfway - but Wakefield refused to buckle.

Jowitt knocked over a penalty to ease any anxiety, rendering Innes Senior's late try no more than a consolation effort.

Three years on from their relegation to the Championship, Trinity now stand on the brink of history after moving within sight of a maiden Grand Final.

Wakefield Trinity: Jowitt, Walmsley, Scott, Hall, Johnstone, Trueman, Lino, Rodwell, Smoothy, Guler, McMeeken, Vagana, Tevaga. Substitutes: Pitts, Hamlin-Uele, Faatili, Lipowicz.

Tries: Smoothy (18), Johnstone (29), Vagana (45), Faatili (51).

Goals: Jowitt 5/6.

Red card: Guler (60).

Leigh Leopards: Armstrong, Senior, Badrock, Hanley, Charnley, Cook, Lam, Ofahengaue, Horne, Trout, Alick-Wiencke, Hughes, Liu. Substitutes: Ipape, Davis, Brogan, Ashworth.

Tries: Armstrong (40), Lam (65), Senior (77).

Goals: Cook 2/3.

Referee: Chris Kendall.