Wakefield Trinity boss Daryl Powell makes 'support' plea after Danny McGuire sacked by Castleford Tigers
Wakefield Trinity boss Daryl Powell has urged support for his former player and rival coach Danny McGuire following his dismissal by Castleford Tigers this week.
Powell, who coached Tigers from 2013-2021 and was in charge at Leeds Rhinos when McGuire made his debut in 2001, described the sacking as “disappointing and tough”. The pair have been in touch since McGuire left Castleford on Monday and Powell said: “Obviously clubs make their own decisions, but I think we have got to make sure we support coaches and give them a route back.
“I know Danny is really positive about what he is going to do. I think it’s really important we don’t lose people of Danny’s calibre to coaching, because it can be a pretty tough initiation when things don’t go your way. We need to support coaches like that. How we do that, I am not saying I have all the answers, but I think it’s important we do.”
Powell’s own side face a huge four-pointer at Hull FC tomorrow (Thursday). Wakefield are sixth in the Betfred Super League table, one place and a point ahead of Hull. “I am really happy with where we’re at and what we are doing,” Powell said at his weekly preview press conference today.
“I am confident we can take on the challenges that are ahead of us. It’s a tough one this week, but I think we are ready for it. They are a team we are competing with pretty hard for the top-six and it’s an important game.”
Hull have not won at home this season, but Powell said that will have no bearing on his team’s approach. Describing the hosts as “tough, gritty and difficult to break down”, he stressed: “We just have to play our game and be ourselves. We have got a real high-quality team here who are doing a lot of really good things. We just have to keep doing that. I don’t think [Hull’s home record] matters to us, we just have to play as well as we can and put Hull under extreme pressure.”
Half-back Oliver Russell was named in Trinity’s 21-man squad for the first time since being injured in March, but will instead play for Salford Red Devils against Castleford on Sunday after joining them on a two-week loan. Powell explained: “He didn’t play that much at Huddersfield last year, then he broke his hand here. He has just come back from that and he needs game time, to get himself going again.
“That’s the rationale - he wants to play, we want him to play. It is a good fit for Oli and Salford at this point and that’s what we have gone with. It is good for him to get back playing and Salford are in need of a half-back, having lost [on-loan] Danny Richardson back to Hull KR.”
Hull FC: from Rapana, Barron, Hardaker, Chamberlain, Briscoe, Sezer, Ese’ese, Bourouh, Cartwright, Cust, Aydin, Ashworth, Fash, Litten, Martin, Moy, Charles, Laidlaw, Hutchinson, Eseh, Knight.
Wakefield Trinity: from Jowitt, Walmsley, Scott, Hall, Johnstone, McMeeken, Hood, Nikotemo, Griffin, Pitts, Doyle, Hamlin-Uele, Vagana, Lino, Rourke, Smith, Myers, Faatili, High, Lingard.
Referee: James Vella. Kick-off: Thursday, 8pm.