Ben Jones-Bishop scored three outstanding tries at the Mobile Rocket stadium as Trinity secured their Super League homecoming with an accomplished 48-18 victory over Hull KR.
Five first-half tries gave the home side a comprehensive lead at the break. A Jones-Bishop and Reece Lyne double along with a Tony Gigot opener giving Trinity a 26-point advantage at the interval.
Despite a Hull KR second-half comeback, the winger added his third just after the break, while Ryan Hampshire, Adam Tangata and Eddie Battye completed the win.
After an arm-wrestle in the opening 10 minutes, Trinity took the game by the scruff of its neck. First, Gigot played an expertly-timed one-two with Matty Ashurst to give Wakefield a 14th-minute lead.
Then, just two minutes later, an unattainable Lyne went down the right-hand side, pushing the Hull KR players out of his way to get the ball down to give Trinity an eight-point advantage.
Trinity going through the gears and it didn’t take long for Lyne to double tally. Exceptional play in the centre got Wakefield on the front foot, where a lovely show and go teased the Hull KR defence and the centre was able to ghost through.
Jones-Bishop didn’t take long to get in on the action, though, and the winger was on hand to add his first and second of the afternoon asserted the home side’s dominance.
Firstly, great work by Max Jowitt opened some space and the full-back had the foresight and vision to pick out Bish, who dived over.
Then, just before the hooter, the winger was at it again when Tom Johnstone sprinted through the middle, the ball was then worked out to Jones-Bishop, who executed in the corner.
Despite a commanding start to the second period, it was Hull KR who pulled one back just after the interval as Jordan Abdull touched down after a neat one-two with Ben Crooks.
However, Trinity wasted no time and Jones-Bishop replied almost instantly, acquiring his hat-trick shortly after the interval.
Back-to-back KR tries put the visitors within 12, but that scare midway through the second period was put far to the back of Chris Chester’s mind when Tangata bulldozed through to get his first of the game.
The worries were gone and back-to-back wins for the first time since April 2019 was in sight.
Beaming with confidence, Trinity kept pressing and the game was put out of sight when Kelepi Tanginoa’s very unselfish play in the in-goal handed Ryan Hampshire his first try after the restart before Eddie Battye scored his first points in Red, White & Blue to complete a well-deserved victory