Wakefield Trinity boss Daryl Powell has confirmed that hooker Tyson Smoothy will leave the club at the end of the season.
Smoothy joined Trinity ahead of 2026, signing a three-year deal and becoming one of their biggest signings in recent years.
Whilst on the field his presence has certainly been felt, personal issues off the pitch have forced him to make the unfortunate decision to return home to Australia.
He was previously linked with a move to Perth Bears, but those rumours seem to have died down. Regardless, Powell has revealed that his star man will depart two seasons earlier than expected.
“It’s cut and dried really,” the Wakefield boss confirmed to the press. “That’s been done for a few weeks now. We’ve moved on from it. We know what’s happening.
“He knows what’s happening, I think that’s important – he can settle down and just get on with his rugby.
“No point chasing something that is family related. I think he’s enjoying his time here for sure, but sometimes there’s bigger things at play and it is what it is.”
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Wakefield Trinity to lose Tyson Smoothy at end of 2026
As for a potential replacement, Wakefield have one of the brightest up-and-coming nines in the competition in Harvey Smith, and whilst Powell believes he has every chance to be the club’s starting hooker, he is not quite at that level yet.
“He’s class, Harv,” the boss added. “I think he’s grown immeasurably both physically. He’s never going to be the tallest. You get what you’re born with with that.
“He’s fast, he’s tough, he’s brave, he can score tries. The pennies dropped with him on a couple of bits of his game over the last maybe three, four weeks, so that’s been great to see.
“He’s an 80-minute player of the future. He can’t quite do it yet, and I wouldn’t want to ask him to. I think he’s going to have to grow into that.”
As a result, the club will head into the market.
“We will sign a player,” Powell confirmed. “We know what we’re doing there. It’s just a matter of time before we talk about that.
