Do not let anyone tell you fairytales do not exist. This is not just a maiden Super League title, or indeed a first major trophy for almost 60 years. This is the culmination of one of the most remarkable sporting stories of our time: from the unfashionable, second tier side nobody really spoke about to the champions of England.

Matt Ellis promised things would change. When he took ownership of his beloved Wakefield Trinity in 2023, he inherited a club on its knees. Just relegated to the Championship, with a stadium that resembled a building site and a squad of players nobody wanted a piece of. But he insisted that within five years, Wakefield would win their first major trophy since 1968 with his investment.

In the end, he lied: it only took him three. As Wakefield lifted rugby league’s most prestigious prize aloft inside Old Trafford on Saturday evening, surely not even Ellis could have foreseen how quickly all this could have happened. It is not an exaggeration to suggest Trinity have long been seen as one of Super League’s laughing stocks; now, they are the club everyone has to catch.

Most of their recent history has been dominated by financial problems, and, year after year, simply surviving was seen as an achievement. That is not an indictment on those who came before Ellis, with the previous custodian of Wakefield, Michael Carter, playing just as key a role in this moment. Without him, this night does not become a reality.

Two years ago this week, Wakefield were preparing for the Championship play-offs with promotion to Super League the prize. Just making the playoffs this season would have been regarded as an achievement but, instead, Trinity have defied all odds and, in truth, all sporting logic to win their first trophy for a long, long time.

Perhaps the most staggering thing about this night though was how Wakefield managed the occasion. After dismantling Wigan in the semi-finals last week, the biggest question mark over Trinity was their inexperience in games like these. But they looked like a side who have been walking out in Grand Finals for years.

They comprehensively outplayed Warrington from start to finish, leading 19-0 by half-time and never really looking back. Tries from Cam Scott, Isaiah Vagana and Jazz Tevaga put Trinity in complete control – with Jack Sinfield’s drop goal in the moments before the half-time hooter establishing a four-score lead. In games like these, they are often insurmountable cushions. That proved true here.

What a moment for the Sinfield family too, with Jack winning his first Super League title on the day his father, Sir Kevin, seven times a winner here himself, delivered the match ball after completing his latest ultra-marathon fundraising challenge. That story was just one of several on the night: with seven of this team with Wakefield in the Championship just two years ago.

“It’s pretty sweet for me as an individual but for the club, the players, everything we’ve built up over the last three years is phenomenal,” said Powell, beaten here in 2017 with Castleford. “This club can go as far as it wants and do anything it wants. It shows you that special things can be achieved.”

For every winner though, there is a loser. Warrington were looking for their first league title since 1955 themselves but they have now lost five straight Old Trafford deciders. It is hard to imagine when a better opportunity will come around. “It’s not the result we were after,” Sam Burgess admitted. “The further you go, the deeper the wound. There’s a lot of disappointed men.”

There was no shortage of effort from his side after half-time, epitomised by the early Arron Lindop try which briefly raised hopes of the greatest of comebacks. But Wakefield extinguished any momentum quickly, reasserting their control on the contest as Johnstone – who won the Rob Burrow Award for man of the match – finishing a fine move for his second try and putting the game beyond doubt.

1968 was the latest time the Wakefield City Hall steps were filled with a Trinity squad celebrating silverware. They will finally return on Sunday as heroes. You would suspect it will not be 58 years between drinks this time around. This club are here to stay.