Wakefield Trinity coach Daryl Powell keeps Leeds Rhinos guessing over Jack Sinfield or Mason Lino decision
Wakefield Trinity coach Daryl Powell is keeping opponents Leeds Rhinos guessing about his half-back plans for tomorrow’s (Friday) derby.
Mason Lino has returned to Trinity’s initial 21-man squad after a couple of weeks off with a knee injury, but Powell isn’t saying whether it will be him or ex-Rhinos man Jack Sinfield lining up alongside stand-off Jake Trueman at AMT Headingley. “Obviously I have already made that call, but I am not going to make it public,” Powell said at his preview press conference today.
“Jack has been playing pretty well for us. Mason has had a couple of little bits injury-wise, but we’ve had a good week of training and I’ll try and get it exactly right this week from a team perspective with what we’ve got available. We are a little bit skinny this week, there’s a few young boys in the squad and that’s reflective of where we’re at from a fitness point of view.”
Full-back Max Jowitt and winger Tom Johnstone remain on the casualty list along with forwards Isaiah Vagana (shoulder) and Jazz Tevaga (knee). Second-rower, Seth Nikotemo, is ruled out after failing a head injury assessment during last Saturday’s defeat at St Helens.
“Tom has just had a jab in his ankle area,” Powell explained. “He had had a couple of problems with his knee and his ankle. There’s nothing major, but he is an unbelievable athlete and we need to make sure he’s right.
“We don’t want to put him out there and then it extends to something that’s more serious. It’s the same with Max, he has got a bit of an Achilles problem that’s causing him trouble and it’s proving difficult to clear up at the moment.”
Trinity are without a game next weekend and Powell expects most of their casualties to be available when they return to action against visitors Catalans Dragons on Friday, May 15.