Tom Johnstone ended Wakefield’s 58-year title wait then warned their Betfred Super League rivals this is only the start of the club’s dramatic and long overdue resurgence.
The 31-year-old scored Trinity’s fourth try at a sold-out Old Trafford to snuff out a brief Warrington comeback and effectively confirm a remarkable 23-10 Grand Final triumph.
Johnstone made his Wakefield debut as a teenager in a crushing defeat to Wigan in 2015, a season in which his side finished rooted to the bottom of the table with just six points to their name.
After fighting back from two serious knee injuries and the pain of Grand Final defeat in 2023 during a two-year sojourn in the south of France with Catalans, Johnstone is emblematic of the club’s stunning transformation.
“Obviously along the years it was a dream of mine,” said Johnstone, who won the Rob Burrow Trophy for man of the match.
“I’ve wanted it for a long time. I’ve had to wait a little bit, but the 31-year-old has finally got it done.
“Throughout all those times going through rehab, all I ever said was I’m going to get one of those (title) rings, I’m going to win it. Now I’ve done it, so it means more.
“We’ve got some good people coming in next year and we’re holding most of the core group. When those new players come in we’ll be assessing our goals at the start of the year and trying to do it all again.”
While Johnstone fought back from adversity to become one of the modern game’s great try-scorers, local millionaire Matt Ellis took control of a relegation-bound club in 2023 and vowed to restore them to the top of the club.
Top of his list was re-signing club hero Johnstone, to whom he sold the dream of a revolution which led to last week’s extraordinary semi-final demolition of hot favourites Wigan at the Brick Community Stadium.
Wakefield answered the question of whether they could maintain the momentum from that success as they muscled into a 19-0 half-time lead at Old Trafford, with tries from Cam Scott, Isaiah Vagana and Jazz Tevaga.
Corey Hall’s yellow card early in the second half briefly lifted Warrington’s spirits but after Arron Lindop scored the first of his two tries, Johnstone stole in at the corner on the hour mark to all but render Trinity untouchable.
Johnstone will now await news of whether he will make the cut for Brian McDermott’s England World Cup squad on Monday, but admitted a bruising finish to the campaign had begun to take its toll.
“I hope so, but I’m carrying a few things,” added Johnstone. “I’ve been getting patched up week to week in order to get it done, and this has been my sole priority. If it’s not to be, it’s not to be. I’ve got to get myself ready for next year.”
Warrington head coach Sam Burgess put a brave face on his side’s fifth Grand Final defeat which extends their own run without a top-flight title beyond 71 years.
Having steered his injury-hit squad to the season-ending showpiece Burgess said he will take heart from the rise of young players like Ewan Irwin, who will have more responsibility next year due to the imminent departure of captain George Williams back to Australia’s NRL.
“I’d say it’s the beginning,” said Burgess. “I think we understand what it takes to get here now, what it takes to take that next step, and we’ve just got to keep improving.
“We’ve got to go back and start building it all over again. We’ve got down to closing the gap a bit this year, but there’s still a way to go.
“There’s a lot spinning around in my mind. There are some great lessons for a lot of our younger players. They have learnt something and will be better for it. But I can’t hide the fact that it’s painful to lose.”