Wakefield Trinity news: coach reveals injury absentee, says 'we are hunters' in top-6 battle with Hull FC
Wakefield Trinity can thrive on being “the hunters” in their top-six battle with Hull FC, according to coach Daryl Powell.
Trinity are seventh in Betfred Super League, a point behind Hull who occupy the sixth and final play-off spot. Both teams are in action tomorrow (Saturday), with Hull playing host to Leeds Rhinos in a 3pm kick-off before Trinity are at home against Huddersfield Giants at 5.30pm.
Trinity are on the back of successive defeats to St Helens and Wigan Warriors, but Powell remains confident. He insisted: “We are still in the position where it’s us and Hull. We need to get into a groove and do some of the things we were doing really well earlier in the season.
“We are not too far away. We’ve got four games left and a good opportunity to be in the six. Hull will feel the same. We need to find that play-off mode of energy and performance and effort and if we do that, we’ll be in a good place I think.”
Trinity have a slightly easier run-in on paper, visiting the bottom pair of Castleford Tigers and Salford Red Devils either side of a trip to league leaders Hull KR. Hull are away to the Robins next week and finish with home games against Warrington Wolves and Catalans Dragons. Powell added: “Hull would say it is in their hands because they are a point ahead at the moment, but whoever plays the best over the last four games is going to be in there.
"I don’t think the players should feel under pressure, they should feel relaxed. We are the hunting team at the moment, we’ll take each game as it comes and just focus on playing well. I feel like, watching the boys this week, we are in a good place. It’s just about focusing on what’s in front of us.”
Lachlan Walmsley is rested for tomorrow’s game, but Matty Russell and Jayden Myers are both back in Trinity’s initial 21-man squad following injury. Josh Rourke, Seth Nikotemo and Noah High retain their place after not featuring in the 17 which lost 44-2 at Wigan Warriors last week.
Walmsley took a knock to the head against Wigan and Powell said: “He passed his hia [head injury assessment] and went back on, but afterwards we were looking at him thinking he probably needs a bit of a breather. It hasn’t been forced on us, it is just us taking a precautionary measure to look after him. We’ve got a couple of wingers in there, Jayden Myers and Matty Russell, who haven’t played massively, so we’ve got some options.”
He confirmed: “I think there will be a couple of changes, with the nature of the last couple of performances. We’ve got a couple of guys who are creaking a bit with little bits of injuries. Josh Griffin, for example, is in the squad, but unlikely to play. He has got an ankle issue that will keep him out, but it’s not bad. He will be okay for next week.”
Oliver Russell, who is on loan from Trinity, is ineligible for Giants and trained with Wakefield this week. Taane Milne returns from suspension in the only change to the Huddersfield squad named ahead of last week’s home win against Warrington Wolves.
Wakefield Trinity: from Jowitt, Scott, Johnstone, Trueman, McMeeken, Hood, Nikotemo, Griffin, Pitts, Atoni, Storton, Vagana, Pratt, Lino, Cozza, Rourke, M Russell, Smith, Myers, Faatili, High.
Huddersfield Giants: from Gagai, Jake Bibby, Halsall, Wilson, Woolford, Burgess, Rushton, Golding, English, King, Greenwood, Rogers, Cudjoe, Powell, Milne, McGowan, Rush, Flanagan, Land, Sykes, Blacker.
Referee: Jack Smith (Wigan). Kick-off: Saturday, 5.30pm.