Former Kiwi international Kevin Proctor is set to debut for his new club after his failed stint in Super League with Wakefield Trinity in 2023.
Trinity only made four signings ahead of the 2023 campaign as they recruited half-back Morgan Smith from Featherstone Rovers, centre Samisoni Langi from Catalans Dragons, NRL prop Renouf Atoni and the aforementioned Proctor.
It’s worth noting that of those four recruits only Atoni remains at Belle Vue for the 2024 season, but it was perhaps Proctor who disappointed most during his time in England.
Having been sacked from Gold Coast Titans it seemed like last chance saloon for the former NRL Grans Final winner, however he’s now found one more shot after moving to France to play for Elite One side Carcassonne.
New beginnings after Super League
After his Trinity release the 34-year-old signed for the French side back in December but this weekend is the first time he’ll put on the boots and kit, having previously been suspended.
That was a suspension that had carried over from his time with Trinity, earning himself a two match ban to end the season in style with one game served at Trin and the other last week in France.
He’s now fit and free to play for the Canaries though with the club set to take on Avignon this weekend, Proctor having joined another former Wakefield Trinity man Morgan Escare.
Proctor’s new side Carcassonne are top of the table winning eight of their nine games this season, making a welcome change from the form lines Proctor endured at Trinity last season where they lost their first 14 Super League matches.
A “humbling experience” at Wakefield Trinity
One reason that caused such disappointment among Trinity fans was that Proctor had been among the best forwards in the NRL at one point, hence their anticipation upon signing him.
It also seemed that Wakefield wasn’t quite what Proctor had anticipated either as the ex-Kiwi international spoke out on the facilities at Belle Vue relative to those at Gold Coast and Melbourne Storm.
Speaking exclusively to Serious About Rugby League at last season’s Super League launch the prop forward explained: “I’ve been places with really good facilities like Gold Coast and Melbourne Storm.
“To come to Wakefield is really humbling for me, I’m grateful to be able to do what I love for a job but to come here when they’re in a rebuild phase of the stadium and they probably don’t have the best facilities in the comp, it’s making me grateful for the opportunity.
“Some of those guys in the team don’t know any better, that’s all they know so for me it’s really humbling and it’s been a good experience so far.”
Unfortunately the gamble didn’t land for either Proctor or Trinity, the player departing after just one year and the club suffering relegation for the first time in 25 years.
