Mark Applegarth on whether he will step away at Wakefield

The pressure is on Mark Applegarth after his Wakefield Trinity side lost for the ninth game in a row leaving them at the bottom four points adrift.

Applegarth though took full responsibility for the defeat:

“Ultimately I’m the head coach so it’s my responsibility. It’s me that’s responsible, I’m just giving you some cold harsh facts there. The responsibility is all of us but I’m head coach so the buck stops with me,” he said on BBC Radio Leeds.

“We’re doing one thing in training but another in a game, that’s the thing that rattles you as a coach. If we were doing what we were doing in training and we applied ourselves how we do and it still wasn’t working in a game, you’d understand.

“The basics I’ve just said there like running on to the ball at pace, making sure you’re fixing your man up, you can’t afford not to be doing them at this level. Defences are too good and that’s what we’re finding out.”

When asked if he’s the right man for the job with a tough battle ahead for Wakefield:

“I’ve been asked this question since round two and it’s a fair valid point. Yes, I do. It’s frustrating and I’m giving you my thoughts just 30 minutes after the game but course I think I’m the right man, it’s just a difficult process that I’ve got to go through.”

He also answered whether or not he thinks the job could be taken out of his hands and if he would walk away:

“I don’t fear it because I can’t control it, I’ve just got to focus on myself. I have pretty honest chats with the board, I’ve never hid away from anything. I said in my pre-match press that if I thought I was the issue then I’d be the first man putting my hand up.

“One of my main values is honesty and I’m sure if you sat any of them lads in front of you, they’d tell you the same.”