Wakefield Trinity 52 Bradford Bulls 12: Super League reality bites for visitors in humbling defeat

In Super League terms, they are marked by high morale and a healthy squad.

Each of this season's three promoted sides rode the early wave to record eye-catching wins.

But it hasn't taken long for the demands of Super League to bite.

York Knights and Toulouse Olympique have not won since February, while Bradford Bulls are beginning to creak amid an injury crisis that claimed more casualties at Belle Vue.

The sight of Esan Marsters and Joe Mellor hobbling off only added to Bradford's woes.

There was a sense that their selection problems had caught up with them as Wakefield Trinity ran riot on a chastening afternoon for the visitors.

Bradford's home form has offered encouragement but away from Odsal the struggles continue.

A 52-12 defeat marked a new low, comfortably surpassing their previous heaviest margin of 12 points.

It was a stark illustration of how quickly Super League can expose any shortcomings.

If the Bulls are highlighting the difficulties of stepping up, Wakefield have shown what can be achieved when everything comes together – a point underlined by Daryl Powell's ambition of a top-four finish.

Trinity already look well set for another play-off challenge after running in 10 tries in a fifth straight league win.

Powell will learn more about Wakefield's title prospects following away games against St Helens and Leeds Rhinos.

For now, though, he can reflect on a job well done.

Tom Johnstone enjoyed himself in the Belle Vue sunshine, bagging a hat-trick with barely 17 minutes on the clock.

After talking up Bradford's enterprising style in the build-up, Powell saw his side issue a reminder of their own attacking quality.

In this mood, Trinity are as entertaining as anybody in the competition.

The writing was on the wall for the Bulls inside two minutes. A penalty left them on the back foot and they cracked almost immediately, hanging back in defence to allow Johnstone to finish acrobatically in the corner from Jack Sinfield's long pass.

One quickly became two for the England winger. This time he finished with a touch more comfort after a simple shift to the left.

The Bulls were all at sea, hampered by ill discipline.

Bradford tried to move Wakefield around when they had the ball but the hosts came prepared and beat the away side at their own game, with Corey Hall's break from an early shift just one example.

While Trinity were a threat from deep, most of their joy came from close range. Johnstone made it a quickfire treble from Jake Trueman's looping pass – a try that was almost a carbon copy of his first.

There was no let-up from Wakefield. Sinfield had a try ruled out for obstruction but Cam Scott was not to be denied, cruising over out wide with the Bulls short on numbers. Sinfield – recalled in Mason Lino's place – added his first goal with the help of a post.

After waiting 27 minutes to get a look at the Trinity line, the Bulls saw the home side turn defence into attack in an instant.

Bradford's cause was not helped by the loss of Marsters to injury – another to add to a long list – but they were a distant second best.

Wakefield added a fifth try before half-time when Josh Rourke finished a break from Johnstone, leaving the Bulls staring down the barrel of their worst defeat of the season.

Bradford rallied briefly after the interval – Zac Fulton touching down Joe Mellor's grubber kick – but normal service quickly resumed as Rourke continued to push his case on his first appearance since the Challenge Cup win over Leeds. His catch from Sinfield's high kick was the highlight of Oli Pratt's first try and the full-back backed it up with a classy offload to put Seth Nikotemo over.

The Bulls were back behind their posts after Pratt added the finishing touches to Trueman's long pass.

Eliot Peposhi stopped the rot from Chris Atkin's offload but Trinity finished as they started.

Pratt completed his treble after good work by Mike McMeeken, only to be trumped by Johnstone who added his fourth from Rourke's cross-field kick to round off a miserable day for Bradford.

Wakefield Trinity: Rourke, Johnstone, Hall, Scott, Pratt, Trueman, Sinfield, McMeeken, Smith, Lolesio, Storton, Nikotemo, Pitts. Substitutes: Smoothy, Rodwell, Hamlin-Uele, Faatili.

Tries: Johnstone (2, 8, 18, 74), Scott (24), Rourke (35), Pratt (49, 62, 69), Nikotemo (53).

Goals: Sinfield 6/10.

Bradford Bulls: Aekins, Wynne, Marsters, Chamberlain, Ryan, Atkin, Mellor, Ormondroyd, Ackers, Lewis, Fulton, Ruan, Peposhi. Substitutes: Hallas, Scurr, Douglas, Russell.

Tries: Fulton (46). Peposhi (67).

Goals: Atkin 2/2.

Referee: Liam Rush.