Thursday 17 August 2017 19:26, UK
Only Wakefield stand between Castleford and the League Leaders' Shield.
But will Trinity be able to deny their Yorkshire rivals on Thursday night after a stunning season of their own has put them on the verge of the top four?
Here's three head to heads that might decide it…
Zak Hardaker v Scott Grix
Is Zak Hardaker heading for a second Man of Steel award? He's playing like a man possessed as he looks to guide Castleford towards their first Grand Final win. The full-back has tasted success with Leeds on three occasions at Old Trafford and can teach his team-mates plenty when the going gets tough.
Hardaker's scored nine tries so far this season, including some stunning efforts. One came against former club Leeds at Headingley, while he also produced a beauty against Hull FC just a week later.
Hardaker crossed twice again last week as his side beat to Salford to set up this league-winning opportunity.
As with Leeds, his attacking stats are phenomenal. He's the Tigers' top metre maker with 2,950m, at an average gain of 8.55m a drive. Then there's the 13 try assists, an eye-popping 116 tackle busts and 15 clean breaks. What a season.
Wakefield have stunned so many in their run to the verge of the top four and one of their most consistent performers this season is full-back Scott Grix.
He's posted some good numbers for Chris Chester's side, scoring eight times, but also providing 12 try assists - the joint-second best in the Trinity side. He's not the sort of player to make barnstorming breaks from the back, but Grix's carries are solid, notching up 1481m from his 220 carries at an average gain of 6.73m a run.
The full-back may be 33, but his experience is vital in this Wakefield side, especially guiding around some of the explosive talent that Chester has available in his backline. Will he keep up the good work right until the end of the season?
Ben Roberts v Jacob Miller
It's Luke Gale who's taken a lot of the plaudits for the way Castleford have played this season, but you can't underestimate the influence of his half-back partner Ben Roberts either.
He might not have Gale's 18 try assists, but Roberts has still been a creative force in his own right, providing eight try assists while also crossing for seven four-pointers of his own. Roberts is a threat with ball-in-hand; an impressive average gain of 8.30 metres a drive, while making 15 clean breaks and 85 tackle busts from his 231 carries so far.
He complements Gale perfectly, so will the two half-backs guide Castleford towards a first Grand Final?
What a return for Jacob Miller. The half-back broke his leg in May, but came back into the Wakefield side to guide his team to a crushing victory over Leeds last week, scoring himself and prompting his coach Chris Chester to brand him "brilliant" after his performance.
Miller had shown plenty of form before the leg-break against Wigan; scoring five times in 16 games. But despite missing a big chunk of the season, the half-back still has 11 try assists to his name, the fourth best in the side.
He's also put in 45 attacking kicks, proving just how pivotal he is to Wakefield's game. Miller started alongside Liam Finn in the win over Leeds, with Chris Chester dropping Sam Williams, proving just how fierce competition is for places in this Trinity side. Will Miller guide Wakefield to a top-four finish?
Jesse Sene-Lefao v David Fifita
What a choice Jesse Sene-Lefao made in the off-season. While the majority of his current Castleford team-mates have built year on year to reach this point, he made the move from the NRL in the off-season, signing from Cronulla to come straight into this excellent side, and he's made a big impact in the orange and black.
Sene-Lefao is the Tigers' fourth best metre maker, racking up 2290m from his 341 carries. He's instrumental in Castleford's fast-paced game, throwing 44 offloads this season, the most in the team. Sene-Lefao has an eye for the tryline too, crossing six times so far, showing what he can do with ball-in-hand.
He's moved between the second row and the front row this season, while also spending on the bench, but Daryl Powell has kept him in the prop forward position in recent weeks. Will he provide the grunt to push his side to Old Trafford?
Chris Chester has an ace card up his sleeve in the pack - big front rower David Fifita. He signed a new two-year deal with Trinity in May and although he isn't always the most consistent player in Super League, he certainly packs some go-forward.
His impact is obvious when looking at the stats. Fifita is Wakefield's third highest metre maker with 2387m from his 310 carries, and that's at an average gain of 7.70m a drive, the second best of any Wakefield forward.
He's second on the offloads chart with 22, fifth on the tackles list with 488 and top of the tackle busts with 73. So as Wakefield come to the business end, will Fifita prove the drive to push Trinity into an incredible fourth-place finish?
