Wakefield Trinity defeated Hull KR in the club’s final pre-season game of 2026, and boss Daryl Powell was delighted with the result.
Trinity emerged as 34-6 victors, with two tries from back rower Seth Nikotemo helping them to the win.
The sides were heavily mismatched, with Wakefield going very strong and KR putting out youngsters for the majority, but that doesn’t outweigh the fact Powell’s men produced a strong display, and one that sets them up nicely from the season ahead.
Speaking to the press post match, Powell was happy with how his side executed, despite it being against a side a lot weaker than they were perhaps expecting.
“Pre-season games are hard work, aren’t they. I just think conditions, lots of squad numbers. They took a little bit of motivation out of it with what they did with the squad, but all we can do is do what we can do and get minutes into the boys legs, which was needed.
“We just move on now. We’ve got a couple of weeks until the Challenge Cup and then we’re into it. It gives us a good hit out which is important at this stage of pre-season.”
Highlighting some of his new recruits, Powell added: “I thought Tray [Lolesio] was really good in the first half. I like Tray, who’s just come to us. I just think his energy and footwork [were good today].
“I thought he did some really good things with the ball in both halves, but particularly in the first half. Obviously, losing Caius [Faatili] was a little bit of a blow but apart from that, we’ve come out injury free so that’s handy.
“Tyson [Smoothy] was good in there, his first hit out with the team. I just thought it was a solid first half.”
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Wakefield Trinity boss gives prognosis on star man’s injury
The one negative to come from the game was that injury to Faatili, who hobbled off the field after scoring the opening try of the game.
However, the boss is not too worried about his prop at this stage, and expects him to be back very soon.
“He’s got a knock on his hip,” Powell explained. “I think he’s alright, he just got a knock on his hip when he scored that try and he was struggling to move.
“We needed to bring him off which sort of changed our rotations a little bit, but he should be fine for round one.”
With the England role now being vacant a heap of names have been linked with the job, and whilst not as prominently as others, Powell’s name is one that could be in the hat ahead of the World Cup.
The Trinity boss was asked about if he would be interested, though he was coy in revealing whether he saw it as a potential career move.
He said: “None [no thoughts] that I’d make public. I think everybody probably would be [interested].
“I will just see what happens. If you get asked the question, then you’ve got an answer, I suppose, but I haven’t got anything to say publicly.
“I think there’s plenty of names getting banded out, everybody’s in for it!”
