Wakefield Trinity 46 Featherstone Rovers 18: Hosts overcome blip to punish fallen Championship heavyweights

That counted for very little when the business end of the season arrived, with last year's shock home loss to the unfancied London Broncos signalling the end of their short-term promotion hopes.

The one time they did win the Grand Final in 2011, Super League was a closed shop due to licensing.

Daryl Powell was Featherstone's head coach back then but should have no such problems with current club Wakefield Trinity.

Wakefield are on course to finish top of the Championship with the safety net of the new grading system that goes live at the end of the season.

A club transformed under ambitious owner Matt Ellis, Trinity are expected to get the points required to secure an immediate return to Super League.

Relegation has allowed Wakefield to rebuild in the second tier and create a winning culture.

That was tested in the aftermath of a first league defeat of the season at nearest challengers Toulouse Olympique but Trinity got straight back on the horse, as all good teams do.

Wakefield have replaced Featherstone as the Championship's top dogs and were too strong for their fallen rivals on Sunday afternoon.

In a marathon of a season that began in early February and will extend to 36 games if everything goes to plan, the odd blip was inevitable – but there can be no excuses in a local derby.

Trinity duly found another gear to pile more misery on Featherstone, Josh Bowden and Lachlan Walmsley leading the way with doubles.

Jermaine McGillvary, Oliver Pratt, Jack Croft and Derrell Olpherts were Wakefield's other tryscorers as they restored their seven-point advantage at the top.

Featherstone, who assembled a squad on a relatively modest budget after their latest play-off failure, are in danger of missing out on the top six altogether following a ninth defeat of the year.

Brad Day and former Trinity academy prop Moris Kamano scored either side of half-time to give Rovers a glimmer of hope but they will head into the final nine rounds outside the play-off spots.

Shock winners in the Challenge Cup in an early-season mudbath, Featherstone could not repeat that performance in stifling heat at Belle Vue.

Wakefield's biggest challenge is yet to come as they look to earn promotion the right way by winning the Grand Final but it was an enjoyable afternoon for the hosts nevertheless.

A fiery opening showed there is no love lost between the old foes but Trinity had control of the contest from the moment Bowden opened the scoring in the 10th minute.

After Jay Pitts took Wakefield close, Bowden twisted his way over on a last tackle powerplay to the delight of the home supporters who were in the mood to have fun at the expense of their neighbours.

Olpherts bombed a try with poor handling but that was quickly forgotten when McGillvary went over on the opposite flank at the end of a flowing move.

Featherstone limited the damage with an element of fortune, Liam Hood seeing a try ruled out for a double movement after Day invited Trinity in with a wild challenge on Walmsley as the full-back chased a kick.

Walmsley dusted himself down to seemingly put Wakefield out of sight just before half-time.

The Australian chimed into the line to create a two-on-one and backed himself to finish with an outstretched arm.

Featherstone were kept at arm's length in the opening 40 minutes but took the first opportunity that came their way just before the interval when Day steamed through a gap and benefited from a slip by Walmsley to score under the posts.

Kamano punished Trinity for a sluggish start to the second half with a powerful close-range finish but a similar effort from Bowden stopped the away side's fightback in its tracks.

It was one-way traffic from thereon in with Wakefield posting four more tries to put Rovers to the sword.

Pratt scored a stunning solo effort after breaking straight through the middle before Walmsley backed up Josh Griffin to race over for his second.

Walmsley turned provider for Croft with a sensational offload and Olpherts completed the scoring after Greg Minikin grabbed a late Featherstone consolation.

Wakefield Trinity: Walmsley, McGillvary, Croft, Pratt, Olpherts, Gale, Jowitt, Bowden, Hood, Bain, Ashurst, Griffin, Pitts. Substitutes: Uele, Boothroyd, Doyle, Shaw.

Tries: Bowden (10, 51), McGillvary (19), Walmsley (35, 60), Pratt (57), Croft (71), Olpherts (80)

Goals: Jowitt 7/8

Featherstone Rovers: Eden, Jeffery, Barley, Minikin, Wynne, Reynolds, Aekins, Springer, Bowes, Nakubuwai, Hardcastle, Day, Kibula. Substitutes: Arnold, Kamano, Tennison, Silk.

Tries: Day (39), Kamano (46), Minikin (77)

Goals: Reynolds 3/3

Referee: James Vella.