Wakefield Trinity boss makes 'no messing about' vow ahead of Challenge Cup tie at Swinton Lions

Trinity are hot favourites against opponents who have lost their opening two Betfred Championship fixtures, including a 28-24 home defeat by Goole Vikings last weekend. But Powell has named a strong 21-man squad and says his team are anxious to get down to business.

He stressed: “The boys are ready to play and the Challenge Cup is important - we need to win the game. It [the team] will be the boys who are ready to play - I don’t see any point messing about at the moment. The boys need to start playing and get ready for what’s going to be a big season.”

Though conditions at Heywood Road should favour the hosts, Powell is confident Trinity won’t be taken by surprise. “We played them a couple of years back in the Championship so we know what it’s like there,” he noted.

“From what I’ve seen, it is looking like a winter rugby kind of pitch, but that’s where we’re at at the moment. We’ve just got to go there and make sure we respect Swinton and do what we need to do. They [Swinton] look young and enthusiastic and I know a couple of the players from my time at Warrington so I know what they are about a little bit.”

Trinity were 1895 Cup winners at Wembley two years ago, but haven’t played in a Challenge Cup final since 1979 - the longest barren run of any established Super League club - and Powell insisted it is a target this season. “We lost to Leigh last year in the first tough game we had and we want to go better than that,” he pledged.

“The Cup is early in the year this time. When it’s later in the year it is pretty tough to do both [Cup and Super League], but we will be having a go at it.”

England winger Tom Johnstone has a knee injury and will miss Sunday’s game, but could be available to face visitors Toulouse Olympique in Betfred Super League round one six days later. Mike McMeeken and Jazz Tevaga won’t be risked this week.

Wakefield Trinity: from Jowitt, Scott, Hall, Trueman, Lino, Smoothy, Nikotemo, Storton, Pitts, Hamlin-Uele, Faatili, Smith, Vagana, Sinfield, Myers, Rourke, Lolesio, Williams, High, Tate, Abraham.

Referee: Tara Jones (St Helens). Kick-off: Sunday, 3pm.