Salford were the big winners on the final day of the Super League regular season after Wakefield went down 41-16 at home to St Helens to drop out of the top four.
Trinity had the chance to enter the Super 8s by securing third place but they were outplayed by an impressive Saints outfit who kept alive their own semi-final bid with a fifth successive win at Belle Vue and only a second away win in the league in 2017.
The outcome means that Salford end the 23-game season in fourth place despite losing six of their last seven matches and in doing so claim an extra home game in the Super 8s.
Wakefield were boosted by the return of skipper Danny Kirmond and centre Reece Lyne for his 100th Super League appearance, but they looked out of sorts for much of the game.
St Helens, on the other hand, were lively from the start with half-backs Theo Fages and Danny Richardson sparking a series of dangerous attacks.
