Wakefield Trinity have been challenged by Daryl Powell to take the ‘next step’ this weekend when they travel to St Helens, with the head coach believing a win over the Saints can send a message across Super League.
Today’s game will see high-flying Trin travel to take on St Helens, the one side that Wakefield did not manage to defeat last year in the club’s first season back in Super League.
Having started the 2026 season so strongly, with six wins from eight in Super League, Daryl Powell was asked about his side’s year-on-year improvement, in what is now his third season at the club.
“I think we’ve got better in a lot of areas, but the challenge for us is consistency,” the head coach stated.
“Saints are the only team that we haven’t beaten really in the last couple of years in Super League. That makes it something pretty big for us to go and get after.”
He explained that what’s next is to harness that true winning belief, something he believes can be attained by ‘going into games like this and coming out the other side in a positive way’.
“I think that’s our next step, really, for everybody to look at us and go, ‘well, these boys are very, very difficult to beat wherever they go’, whether it’s Wigan, St Helens, Leeds, Warrington, wherever it is. Semifinals, quarterfinals, we want to be that team that doesn’t fear anything.
“I think that’s our next step. That’s our challenge now, that we need to front up and come out the other side of.”
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From scaffolding to Super League – Wakefield Trinity boss hails Q Cup signing
With today’s game against St Helens and next week’s West Yorkshire derby against Leeds Rhinos, Wakefield will have two good chances to prove that they are the real deal and one man who may ave a big role to play is off-season signing Tray Lolesio.
Trinity signed the prop forward from the Queensland Cup and whilst it took until round seven for the 23-year-old to earn his Super League debut with Wakefield, Daryl Powell is chuffed with how the former scaffolder is coming along.
Powell explained: “When Tray was playing over there in the Q Cup, he was scaffolding. This is his first real taste of full-time environment, so we always thought it’d take him a little bit of time.”
That time saw him loaned out to Bradford Bulls before playing off the bench in round seven and then starting last week against the Bulls, a performance that Powell was very pleased with.
“I was really impressed with what he did last week. I wouldn’t have given him a start if I didn’t think it was the right thing to do.
“I just thought he was great. The way he carries the ball. He defended pretty solid, but the way he carries the ball, he’s got great leg speed and good late feet.”
The prop forward has now been set the challenge to take on today’s game as a key test, away from Belle Vue and in a big-game environment against a strong St Helens pack.
“I think for him, (the game versus St Helens) will be great,” Powell said, adding: “Going into a hot bed, a hot environment where you’ve got to be on it whilst you’re on the field. From what he’s done so far, he’s been awesome. I’ve been really impressed with him.”
