Leigh went into the game looking to reach a second successive semi-final, while Trinity faced their first play-off appearance in 13 years after a stellar first season back in Super League.
Daryl Powell’s side won 40-14 on their last visit to the Leopards Den and almost enjoyed a dream start when Josh Griffin charged down O’Brien’s first-minute clearance kick but couldn’t gather as a clear run to the line beckoned.
But that was as it got in the first half for the visitors who lost second rower Matty Storton to a leg injury within five minutes.
Leigh soon hit the front as slick passing created a two-on-one at the right edge where Umyla Hanley sent Brand in for his seventh try in four matches and a 17th Super League try of the season.
Frankie Halton was held up a metre short, while three tacklers combined to stop Hanley’s charge for the line as Wakefield were penned deep in their own territory by rampant Leigh.
Trinity’s goalline defence soaked up wave after wave of pressure, but a battered backline finally cracked in the face of Liu’s powerful run.
Lachlan Lam maintained the almost relentless momentum with a 40-20, and a few plays later, the instrumental scrum-half fed Charnley to cross in the left corner.
The visitors badly needed the next try and got it within four minutes of the restart. Mason Lino’s high kick rebounded back off O’Brien and the ball was quickly moved out to the right edge where Myers applied a super one-handed diving finish.
But an error from the restart immediately gifted O’Brien a momentum-stalling penalty before Tuitavake crashed over on the hour to put the hosts out of sight at 26-4.
A try out of nowhere gave Wakefield the final say as Scott weaved his way through a gap just inside the Leigh half and outpaced his chasers for a fine individual effort.
