It may seem quite obvious to suggest there is plenty Super League can learn from its newest champions, but as Wakefield Trinity’s dreams came true by beating Warrington 23-10 at Old Trafford on Saturday, it was easy to ponder just how transformational a moment this is for not only them, but so many others.
This fairytale has captured attention unlike few other Super League stories in recent times. A second-tier club two years ago, Wakefield are now champions of England and have a possible showdown with the NRL champions, Sydney Roosters, to contemplate early next year in the World Club Challenge.
A city that has languished in the rugby league pecking order for generations has now been awoken in vivid Technicolor, epitomised by the scenes in Wakefield on Sunday as tens of thousands of supporters lined the streets to welcome home their heroes.
There are lessons here for everyone. This is all happening at an intriguing time, with a Super League-NRL partnership set to be signed off soon, potentially opening the door for more opportunity for growth for the English game, in a year when, for the first time, more than two million supporters attended matches.
Wakefield’s rise is inspirational to so many, but it is how they have done it that warrants further attention. First, the loyalty they have shown to their players. Matt Ellis’s investment as owner has been the catalyst for this remarkable turnaround, but seven of the 17 who lifted the trophy at Old Trafford were playing for Wakefield in the Championship two years ago. It is proof that loyalty matters.
Max Jowitt has spent his entire career with Wakefield and remembers the days where they were training at amateur-standard facilities, playing in a crumbling Belle Vue and fighting for survival on an annual basis. He was sitting on the pitch at Leigh in front of a couple of hundred supporters when Wakefield were relegated in 2023.
On Sunday afternoon, he was on an open-top bus that ran through the city centre with the Super League trophy for company. “I’ve seen it at its lowest low and now its highest high,” said the full-back, who will end a association with the club and join York in 2027.
“It’s an unbelievable story for the game. To be part of the worst time in Wakefield’s history, being relegated, and then the best, winning the title, within three years is beyond my wildest dreams. What a ride.”
There is another lesson for clubs now chasing Wakefield; sensible, logical recruitment. Their rise to the top has been underpinned by a “moneyball” strategy of plucking players from Australia’s lower gradesCaleb Hamlin-Uele and Caius Faatili, now Wakefield legends, moved to England on a pittance: less than the average man on the street.
They just wanted an opportunity to shine, and Hamlin-Uele would have been in England’s World Cup squad on Monday had he not opted to correct a knee injury. While others have splurged big money on big names, Wakefield have been meticulous. “It’s unbelievable. I owe Wakefield everything,” Hamlin-Uele said.
Then there is Ellis. Ridiculed in 2023 when he said Wakefield would win a trophy within five years just as they were heading for the Championship and he had bought a club on its knees, his only inaccuracy was that it took just three, not five. This third and final lesson from this story is one that stretches beyond Wakefield Trinity, though.
Ellis estimates it has cost him £10m to make this dream, one he harboured since he stood on the Belle Vue terraces as a boy, come true. With NRL investment coming over the hill, you wonder if there are others considering purchasing Super League clubs who feel they could make a similar vision a reality.
In comparison to the money spent in other sports, £10m is small change to reach the very pinnacle; Ellis and Wakefield have shown dreams can become a reality if you go about it the right way.
Wakefield Trinity made their supporters believe again for the first time in generations. If they can do it, why can’t everyone else?
