Adrian Lam can sympathise with the plight of relegation certainties Wakefield but won’t allow sentiment to get in the way of Leigh’s bid to secure a top four Betfred Super League finish.

To stay up, Trinity must win both their remaining games, starting with Friday’s visit to Leigh Sports Village (kick-off 8pm), and hope Castleford lose both their fixtures, to wipe out a current 31-point deficit.

Victory for Leigh will guarantee fourth place and a home play-off semi-final. However, result permutations over the last two rounds could see Leopards potentially slip to sixth.

“We understand Wakefield’s desperation,” agreed head coach Lam. “They have got their motivation but so have we.

“Our want to remain fourth should be more than their want to stay in Super League.

“At the start of the season we were meant to be in this relegation fight,” he added with a swipe at outside pre-season predictions.

“But we have taken care of ourselves throughout the year and it has been an amazing journey.

“You can feel sorry for anyone in this situation moving forward with the new regime.

“But it is also an opportunity for Wakefield to bounce back and get sorted pretty quickly.

“Sometimes, as a reality check, this can be good for you. Our club suffered a few times so we know better than anyone.

“We are still scarred from those moments but it has brought us the point where we are currently at in the season.

“We have prepared for what is about to unfold and we want to get ourselves right. We want to be the team that can hurt the opposition with the way we play.

“Our focus is making sure we take the benefits of last week (at St Helens) and bottle that. Our challenge is not so much focusing on Wakey.”

Skipper John Asiata and competition top try scorer, Josh Charnley, are expected to be fit after missing last Friday’s 22-12 defeat against Saints. Jack Hughes (knee), Robbie Mulhern (shoulder) and Zak Hardaker (hand) are nursing minor injuries.

Forwards Tom Amone and Joe Wardle escaped bans but were each fined £250 for respective offences of raised knee in the tackle and dangerous contact in defeat at Saints.

Wardle will leave Leopards at the end of the season for a new challenge with League One Oldham.

The 31-year-old, who was 18th man for Leigh’s historic Challenge Cup victory, has signed a two-year deal starting in 2024. He will combine playing with a role as forwards’ coach.

*Leigh must earn promotion from group two of the Betfred Women’s Super League via the play-offs after losing 14-12 to Barrow in their final game of the regular season.

Victory would have sealed automatic promotion for Kieron Purtill’s side who now face Salford Red Devils in the semi-finals on the weekend of September 23-24. The winners will play Barrow or Bradford in the final.