Daryl Powell hints at more Wakefield Trinity recruitment following overseas signing rule changes

Wakefield Trinity are firm favourites to win the Championship and with an already solid IMG score they’re well fancied to return to Super League, however head coach Daryl Powell has suggested recruitment isn’t over.

Trinity have already bought well as they’ve refreshed their wing positions with the acquisition of Super League legend Jermaine McGillvary and two-time Championship top try scorer Lachlan Walmsley.

They’ve also brought in bulk in the middle of the pack with New Zealand-born Caleb Uele, Tony Boothroyd and Luke Bain all coming from down under.

That could be where the club’s next and potentially final recruits come from with Powell having spoken on the new rules that will allow clubs to recruit from the lower competitions down under.

Previously the players in the New South Wales and/or Queensland Cup competitions were inaccessible generally in terms of the inability to secure them a visa, but the government ruling change to allow clubs to obtain Governing Body Endorsement for overseas players can circumvent this.

As such a whole new player pool is available and that’s something Trinity could be set to tap into, as Powell revealed when speaking on the club’s Youtube channel.

Speaking on recruitment generally, Powell said: “Yeah, I think we’ve done a really good job. When I first came in the squad was really skinny in the middle of the field. Obviously we spoke to Wigan on the dual reg agreement.

“I suppose the one thing that has changed has been the change of rules with the Queensland Cup, the New South Wales Cup. There is potentially an ability to bring some players in that you couldn’t get qualified before, so those rules have changed.

“For us we’ve had another look at the market and we want to get it right. If we bring anybody else in, I think we’ve got to be certain that they’ll take us into Super League as well.

“So we’re looking, constantly looking, obviously we’re looking to evolve our squad over the next few years, but that change in the rules has opened up a little bit of an avenue for us to explore.”

When pushed if this new ruling meant that signings could be expected the former Warrington Wolves boss seemed to confirm that the club have irons in the fire in terms of a recruitment drive down under.

Powell continued: “Yeah, there’s potentially one or two, but based on that change of rules. But we’re working hard. Steve Millers, obviously, has got great relationship with agents over in Australia and in this country as well.

“He’s in constant conversations with agents to see who’s available whether they want to come to the UK and whether they’re fitting to the way we want to do things.”