Wakefield Trinity boss makes 'momentum' vow for Salford Red Devils clash as mixed injury news revealed
Wakefield Trinity will go all guns blazing at Salford Red Devils on Friday, regardless of what’s at stake.
A win would confirm Trinity in sixth spot and send them to Betfred Super League’s third-placed finishers for an elimination play-off on Friday, September 26. But the job could be done before kick-off at Salford, if Hull FC - who are a point behind - lose at home to Catalans Dragons this evening (Thursday).
Powell has named an unchanged 21-man squad from last Friday’s stunning 28-12 hammering of table-topping Hull KR and vowed Trinity’s approach won’t change, even if there’s nothing to play for. Wakefield lost at second-bottom Castleford Tigers earlier this month and the coach insisted: “We had a reminder a couple of weeks back about what can happen if we don’t turn up in the right mental state, so it’s all about us being in the right place mentally and coming up with an outstanding performance.
“There’s no thoughts of anything other than completely respecting the game and Salford. They have been pretty close - they beat Warrington, were a point away from beating Catalans and were 8-4 ahead last week at Huddersfield with not long to go. We aren’t going there thinking anything other than our best performance is 100 per cent what we need to do.
“Momentum is key for us, just getting some consistency about what we are doing. It is important we are feeling good about ourselves going into the week after, so it’s important we put our foot down on the game.”
Powell has no plans to rest players even if the game is a dead rubber. He added: “I felt what we did last week was pretty good so I don’t want to change too much about that. I know some teams will be resting at the moment, but I don’t see that for us. We’ve had a couple of weeks off not that long ago and we want to get a bit of momentum about us.”
Forward Seth Nikotemo limped out of last week’s game, but Powell stated: “I think he will be fine. He has trained all week, he had a little bit of something there, but nothing major. He was hobbling around a bit, it’s an ankle he has had a bit of trouble with before, but he is good.”
However, prop Caleb Hamlin-Uele’s chances of returning next week, if Trinity have a game, look remote. He has not played since suffering a calf muscle injury in training two months ago and also underwent surgery on a shoulder. Powell said: “It would be a risk and I think - the way the boys are at the moment - unless something happens to us it would be hard for him to get in there.”
Salford Red Devils: from Macdonald, Mellor, Lewis, Marsters, Sangare, Davis, Wilson, Morgan, Connell, Glover, Chan, Warren, Murphy, Darbyshire, Gorman, Ruan, Milnes, Walker, Shaw.
Wakefield Trinity: from Jowitt, Scott, Johnstone, Trueman, McMeeken, Hood, Rodwell, Nikotemo, Griffin, Pitts, Atoni, Storton, Pratt, Lino, Cozza, Rourke, Croft, Smith, Myers, Faatili, High.
Referee: Jack Smith (Wigan). Kick-off: Friday, 8pm.