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Wakefield Trinity reach Super League Grand Final two years after promotion from second tier

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“It’s something I’ve dreamed about for years and it used to be a bit of a pipe dream,” said Tom Johnstone, when asked about the prospect of Wakefield Trinity winning a Super League Grand Final.

That dream could become a reality for the England winger on 3 October, after Wakefield shocked treble-chasing Wigan Warriors 33-6 in Saturday’s play-off semi-final to secure their place in the Old Trafford showpiece for the first time.

Wakefield, who will play Warrington Wolves in the title decider, have been a club transformed in recent seasons.

So often competing at the wrong end of the Super League table, they lost their top-flight status in 2023 – but that proved to be the beginning of the club’s reinvigoration, sparked by the completion of a takeover by kitchen magnate Matt Ellis.

His financial support, along with the leadership and experience of head coach Daryl Powell, have led Wakefield up from the Championship and now to within 80 minutes of becoming Super League champions.

Johnstone, 31, began his career with Wakefield and was back for Trinity’s return to the top division at the start of 2025 after a two-year spell with Catalans Dragons.

“I went to Matt’s kitchen factory with my agent and we had a chat about everything they want to achieve and everything they promised to do,” Johnstone, who scored two of Wakefield’s five tries against Wigan, told BBC Two.

“We left and said: ‘If they do any of that, it’s going to be something special.’ I couldn’t say no.”

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Barney's Bears – the Warwickshire captain who commands respect

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How Shropshire lad Ed Barnard skippered Warwickshire to a title triumph in his first season as a county captain.

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Phil Taylor to come out of retirement and reunite with Adrian Lewis

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Sixteen-time world champion Phil Taylor will return to darts eight years after retiring to play in the Modus Super Series’ International Pairs tournament in November.

Taylor will play alongside another former world champion, Adrian Lewis, who himself has not played professionally on the PDC circuit since April 2023.

Taylor, 66, is the most-decorated player in the sport’s history. ‘The Power’ won 214 professional tournaments and a record 87 major tournaments between 1987 and 2018.

The doubles tournament takes place between 23 and 28 November in Portsmouth.

Nicknamed ‘Jackpot’, 41-year-old Lewis won the World Darts Championship in 2011 and 2012 and has faced Taylor in five Professional Darts Corporation major title finals, all of which were won by Taylor.

The duo are the most successful pairing in the history of the PDC’s World Cup of Darts, winning it four times as Team England in their six outings together.

“I’ve been asked plenty of times about coming back, but it would have to be for the right reason,” said Taylor.

“Adrian is one of the very few people I’d come out of retirement to play alongside, and the Modus Super Series is the place I wanted to do it.

“We’ve got a lot of history together, we know each other’s games inside out and I’m looking forward to getting back up there with him.”

While Taylor has not played professionally since 2018, he did feature at the World Seniors Darts Championship in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Lewis featured at Modus’ International Pairs Tournament for England last year alongside Steve Beaton, having announced he was taking a break from darts in April 2023.

“Phil and I have shared some brilliant moments playing together over the years, so to get the chance to do it again is really special,” said Lewis.

“We know what it takes to win as a pair and I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do together.”

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Scotland: Life after World Cup heartache is bright for Billy Gilmour

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Gilmour was still in Miami when news broke of Clarke’s resignation as Scotland head coach. He’s a man the Napoli midfielder acknowledges he owes so much to after giving him his debut in 2001.

Now, however, it’s the Sebastien Pocognoli era and the former Rangers, Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion man seems central to it.

In the 0-0 draw in Slovenia on Saturday, it was Gilmour who caught the attention during a resurgent second half for the Scots.

He is often seen as more of a deep-lying central midfielder, but there was a different dynamic to his game with the absence of club-mate Scott McTominay, who is recovering from a heart procedure.

“When I was younger, I really liked playing higher up, trying to be among it,” Gilmour, who is set to feature at Hampden on Tuesday against Switzerland – live on the BBC, said.

“Whenever I get asked to play on the pitch, as long as I’m on the pitch, I’m happy. I just want to play football and enjoy it.”

Now 25, there is plenty time to make new memories in a Scotland shirt. Yet, with so many young faces coming into the squad, the Ayrshire man is probably now a senior figure in the group.

It’s something he says he embraces, although Gilmour is coy about the prospect of maybe taking on the armband whenever current captain Robertson decides to pass it on.

“For me, it’s everyone’s dream to be a captain at a club or a country,” he said.

“Of course I’d be really proud to, but Robbo’s my captain and he’s a really good captain as well.

“What he’s done for Scotland is incredible and he’s very close on the record [most caps held by Kenny Dalglish] and I’m sure he’ll get it.”

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