Wakefield Trinity’s Super League fate hangs in the balance after shattering Magic Weekend loss to Toulouse Olympique

With nine rounds remaining, second-bottom Wakefield are two points clear of 12th-placed Toulouse Olympique, so their fate is in their own hands.

But the French team have all the momentum following a remarkable comeback at Newcastle’s St James’ Park which completed a second successive win.

It was their first Super League victory in England, but they have been competitive on home soil all season, their next three games are at Stade Ernest Wallon and Trinity appear to have a slightly tougher run-in.

Asked where this 38-26 defeat – in a game Trinity seemed to have won at half-time – left his team in the relegation battle, Wakefield coach Willie Poching insisted they are far from down and out. Wakefield visit Hull KR on Sunday, the day after Toulouse play host to Leeds Rhinos and Poching said: “We are still in control of it.

“There’s still some more footy to play and that starts this week.

“We’ve got to get back to it, get back to the drawing board.

“We’ll have a look at it, have some honest discussions and then get on with chasing two points again.

“I have still got a lot of belief in them and know they have got a lot of belief in each other.”

The big test for Wakefield now is how they respond to such a shattering defeat, in a game they controlled for 40 minutes.

They looked a devastated team at the end, while Toulouse celebrated, bringing pizzas from the changing rooms to share with jubilant fans.

Despite being without injured half-back Mason Lino, Trinity led 12-0 after 11 minutes and were 20-4 ahead at half-time.

At that stage, they were on course to open a six-point gap which would surely have been enough to ensure they are playing top-flight rugby next year.

But their collapse, from the moment David Fifita was sin-binned for a professional foul in the final seconds of the half, was spectacular.

By the time Fifita was back on the field, Wakefield were two points behind, having conceded three converted tries as Toulouse took advantage of an early error, followed by a flurry of set-restarts and penalties.

And within moments of Fifita returning, fellow substitute forward Rob Butler followed him into the sin-bin, for a dangerous tackle.

The French team added two more tries during that 10-minute period to go 32-20 ahead and Wakefield never threatened to pull the game from the fire.

Poching reflected: “It is disappointing we threw such an advantageous situation away.

“We had so much control field position-wise and scoreboard-wise.

“Discipline hurt us, losing two players to the sin-bin.

“Playing with 12 men for 20 minutes was crucial.”

The importance of the game was obvious from the start and neither team did much with the ball in the first half.

Wakefield were solid, made fewer errors and took advantage when chances came their way.

Toulouse also played conservatively and that didn’t really suit them.

Needing to score three times to get in front, they had to change tack in the second period and looked more comfortable.

Wakefield’s mistakes and ill-discipline handed them a way back into the contest and Lambert Belmas, Matty Russell and Nathan Peats all crossed during Fifita’s absense.

The game followed a similar pattern after Butler was banished, with Latrell Schaumkel and Russell touching down to effectively put the game out of Wakefield’s reach.

Kelepi Tanginoa did pull a try back in the final minute, but Toulouse re-started play with six seconds left.

Wakefield moved the ball left in front of their posts and Liam Hood’s pass was intercepted by Guy Armitage as the hooter sounded, Chris Hankinson tagging on his fifth conversion.

Earlier, Hood and Matty Ashurst had crossed for Wakefield, Max Jowitt landing the first of his four conversions.

Joe Bretherton pulled a try back, but a penalty by Jowitt and Fifita’s try gave Trinity what shold have been a match-winning lead.

Wakefield Trinity: Jowitt, Evans, Croft, Hall, Murphy, Miller, Walker, Arona, Wood, Whitbread, Pitts, Ashurst, Batchelor. Subs Fifita, Butler, Crowther, Tanginoa.

Toulouse Olympique: Ashall-Bott, Schaumkel, Armitage, Hankinson, Russell, Norman, Gigot, Navarrete, Peats, Alvaro, Bretherton, Peyroux, Paulo. Subs Albert, Hansen, Sangare, Belmas.

Referee: Robert Hicks (Oldham).