'Ready to rip in': Will Dagger set for Wakefield Trinity debut at St Helens - after one training session
Wakefield Trinity’s new signing Will Dagger will go into the toughest challenge in Betfred Super League with only one training session under his belt.
The former Hull KR full-back was told of Trinity’s interest last Sunday, the deal - a swap which saw Corey Hall move the other way - was finalised on Monday and he signed the following day.
Dagger went straight into Trinity’s squad for Friday’s trip to champions St Helens, alongside loan signing from Huddersfield Giants Innes Senior and trained with his new teammates for the first time at the captain’s run on Thursday
“It has been a mad few days,” Dagger said. “I wasn’t looking to move, I was trying to get myself into the starting team at Hull KR, but I had a chat with Willie [Peters’ the Robins’ coach] and he said it would be better if I was playing regular rugby.”
He has been at Rovers six years and was their longest-serving player. He said: “I’m 24 so I feel like I am coming into my prime.
“I just need to be playing, I have got that opportunity now and I am ready to get out there and rip in with the lads.”
Meanwhile, coach Mark Applegarth insists his side are focusing on this week’s game, not next Thursday’s huge derby at fellow strugglers Castleford Tigers.
“There's no hiding away from the fact there's a couple of big games coming, but we're playing the world champions this week,” he stated.
“We can’t have one eye on the Castleford game - if you do that, you're going to get burned badly because you're playing against the best team in the world.
“We'll get Friday out of the way first. Cas is always a spicy game with it being a local derby, but it adds a bit more bite to it with the situation we're both in.”
St Helens: from Welsby, Makinson, Hopoate, Percival, Bennison, Lomax, Dodd, Walmsley, Roby, Lees, Knowles, Lussick, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Sironen, Paasi, Bell, Royle, Hurrell, Ritson, Delaney, Buckley.
Wakefield Trinity: from Taufua, Lyne, Lino, Battye, Whitbread, Ashurst, Pitts, Crowther, Kay, Kershaw, Proctor, Smith, Langi, Butler, Bowes, Eseh, Butterworth, Pratt, Forber, Dagger, Senior.
Referee: Chris Kendall (Huddersfield).
Kick-off: Friday, 8pm.