Jacob Miller improves Wakefield’s survival hopes in win against Wigan

There is still plenty of rugby to be played before the Super League playoffs start but here, in the stifling summer heat, it was hard not to feel like two of the competition’s burning issues went some way to being decided.

Wakefield Trinity have flirted with relegation all season but here, in the shadows of the construction work that will transform their crumbling but beloved Belle Vue home, they took a sizeable step towards securing their top-flight status.

Toulouse’s defeat at Warrington on Thursday night left the door ajar for Wakefield to open up a four-point gap at the bottom with four games remaining. They did that in surprisingly stress-free fashion, and – given the fact Toulouse’s run-in involves games against three of the top four – the cards are now firmly stacked against the French side extending their time in Super League into a second season. Wakefield, to their credit, deserved this victory and the likely rewards that will come with it.

This was also a decisive day at the summit, too. With St Helens trouncing Hull further down the M62, it means Wigan trail the reigning champions by six points with four games to play. The Warriors will now have to settle for second place at best, though they could still be caught by either Huddersfield or Catalans – and given finishing in the top two means having the opening week of the playoffs free, Wigan’s season could still have plenty left riding on them.

They were well beaten here and could have few complaints. Trinity handled the intense heat the better, with a largely error-free first half reducing the amount of time they had to defend in energy-sapping conditions. They crafted a deserved 18-6 lead by the break and, from there, never really looked back. “Every win is