Wakefield Trinity head coach Daryl Powell admitted his side were a ‘tough watch’ in their win over York Knights before giving a verdict on the club’s extraordinary signing of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.
Trinity won 26-14 as two late tries helped make the win look a lot more convincing but all of the pre-game talk had been consumed by confirmation that former Dally M medalist Roger Tuivasa-Sheck was signing a two-year deal with Wakefield from 2027.
The dual-code international will become one of the biggest signings in Super League history and Daryl Powell was well aware of that, as he hailed his Director of Rugby and owner for helping land the NRL coup.
Speaking to Sky Sports about how the deal was done, Powell said: “(Ste) Mills is a pretty tidy recruitment manager, he’s got his finger on the pulse, he’s done a good job, he’s done a great job with Matt (Ellis) backing it as well to bring an iconic player into Super League.”
On Tuivasa-Sheck, he said: “He’s been outstanding, both codes, and still a super player, so I’m really looking forward to welcoming him next year. Obviously this year we’ve got a big job to do, but when you’re signing players like that, I think it’s great for the game, for Super League, and obviously for us it’s an outstanding signing.”
Luke Robinson sacked, Hull KR struggling and why it could actually be Warrington Wolves’ year? – click here to watch the latest episode of the Serious About Rugby League Show
Wakefield Trinity boss hails character of side
It’s a signing made possible by owner Matt Ellis, who has helped transform the club’s fortunes since taking over in late 2023, and when asked about Ellis, Powell was keen to offer praise.
“He’s been up there again punching his fist and getting the fans jumping up and down, which he loves to do, after we’ve won a game,”Powell said.
“He deserves it, the whole family has put so much time and effort, and obviously the financial clout into the club, which gives us a chance to do some of the things that we’re doing.”
Last night’s win took Wakefield into the top four of Super League with the performance showcasing plenty of character in Powell’s eyes as he hailed Trinity for their grit throughout.
He said: “I think we’re working hard at the moment to win games, we’re not always pretty, but I think the character in the team is there for all to see.
“York are doing a tremendous job at the moment, everybody that they play, they’re super competitive. The last three games that they’ve played have been very close, so for us tonight to work our way out of a tight situation, obviously getting Max (Jowitt) binned at that time was pivotal, but we managed to fight our way through it and show a lot of character.”
Speaking further on that character, he added: “We’re finding ways to win at the end of games and we’re fighting back at the end of first halves, when we haven’t been that great, so I think there’s loads of lessons for us and we’re going to get better but we’re a tough watch at times.
“I think there were 50 plus play-the-balls inside our 20 tonight and that’s way too many. I thought we’ve done tremendously well to keep York to the scoreline that they’ve got, when we’ve had that much pressure on our line.”
FULL TIME: York Knights 14-26 Wakefield Trinity
A second half double from Tom Johnstone and another from Oliver Pratt clinches victory for the Trin!!@TheLEDStudio | #UpTheTrin pic.twitter.com/Q0lWaMrEWM
— Wakefield Trinity (@WTrinityRL) March 27, 2026
