Wakefield Trinity coach Daryl Powell issues 'have to play well' warning for 'key' Catalans Dragons clash
Successive defeats have made this evening’s (Friday) visit of Catalans Dragons a “key game” for Wakefield Trinity.
Coach Daryl Powell’s side began Betfred Super League round 11 in sixth place on the table, but back-to-back losses to the top-two of St Helens and Leeds Rhinos have weakened their hold on a play-off spot. Catalans, coached by Powell’s former assistant Ryan Sheridan, are eighth, just two points adrift.
“It’s important - I think we're all disappointed with our last two games so this is a key game for us,” Powell admitted. “Catalans have been up and down; the coach moved on, Shez [Sheridan] has taken over and they’ve done some good things.”
Powell reckons Catalans have “good players across the field”, but expects the game to be won in the middle. “We’ve focused on ourselves, but we’ve done our homework and looked at where their strengths are,” he said ahead of the Sky Sports-streamed fixture.
“They are a very big, physical team - huge in the middle of the field. We've got to be very good in that area. We just have to play well. We haven’t played well for a couple of weeks, not consistently anyway. If we get that right, we know how good we are as a team.”
Forwards Seth Nikotemo, Jazz Tevaga and Isaiah Vagana are all back in Trinity’s initial 21-man squad following injury. Nikotemo returns from a concussion which kept him out of the defeat at Leeds Rhinos two weeks ago, Tevaga is available after a suspension and knee injury and Vagana has recovered from an ankle problem.
They replace youngsters Charlie Abraham, Robbie Brook, Zack Clegg, who weren’t in the 17 against Leeds. Full-back Max Jowitt and winger Tom Johnstone remain on the casualty list. Ben Garcia is back in Dragons’ squad and Iszac Fa’asuamaleaui drops out.
Wakefield Trinity: from Pratt, Scott, Hall, Trueman, Lino, McMeeken, Smoothy, Rodwell, Nikotemo, Storton, Tevaga, Pitts, Hamlin-Uele, Faatili, Smith, Vagana, Sinfield, Myers, Rourke, Lolesio, Tate.
Catalans Dragons: Staines, Makinson, Cotric, Faataape, Sexton, Dodd, Satae, Bousquet, Maria, Condon, Garcia, Allen, Navarette, Wilson, Leeming, Lipowicz, Aispuro-Bichet, Tison, Martin, Darrelatour, Lis.
Referee: Aaron Moore (Wigan). Kick-off: Friday, 8pm.