Josh Rourke secured a dramatic late try as Wakefield Trinity edged Huddersfield Giants 29-23 in a tense rugby league clash at the DIY Kitchens Stadium on Sunday.

Wakefield opened the scoring in the ninth minute when Jake Trueman set up Tom Johnstone to score in the corner. The home side extended their lead shortly after with captain Mike McMeeken crossing to make it 10-0. Huddersfield responded within 10 minutes as Jacob Gagai broke a tackle on the left wing to narrow the gap to four points. The Giants then took the lead for the first time when Cole Geyer slipped under a tackle to score behind the posts, putting Huddersfield ahead 12-10.

Wakefield regained the lead just before halftime following sustained pressure that forced Huddersfield’s defence to buckle. Jack Sinfield capitalized on a penalty and a six-again call to score, helping the hosts enter the break ahead.

The Giants came out strongly after the interval, with Asher O’Donnell charging over to regain the lead after Oliver Russell executed a clever 40-20 kick. However, Max Jowitt’s penalty leveled the score at 18-18. Wakefield pulled ahead once again around the hour mark when Rourke powered over in the corner. The lead was short-lived as Huddersfield’s Adam Swift quickly responded with a try to tie the game.

In the final stages, Sinfield added a drop goal in the 71st minute, but Russell matched it with a drop goal for Huddersfield with just a minute remaining. Just when the contest appeared headed for golden point extra time, Rourke intercepted a pass and sprinted away to secure the victory for Wakefield.

The result marked a hard-fought win for Trinity in a closely contested encounter characterized by frequent lead changes and decisive plays in the final moments.