Wakefield Trinity boss Daryl Powell has explained the recent exits of two players, and where it leaves them in terms of bodies going forward.
Earlier this week, hooker Tommy Doyle left the club to pursue other opportunities within the game, before this morning the news broke that Seth Nikotemo had departed with immediate effect due to personal circumstances.
Nikotemo was a prominent player in the Trinity set-up, playing just short of 30 games since his arrival back in 2025.
Explaining what he could on the 22-year-old’s exit, Powell told the press: “I won’t tell you the depths of it, but Seth had an issue back at home that he needed to go and look after.
“I was a real quick one as well. It was like an overnight ‘need-to-go’ situation. We really want to look after Seth and make sure everything was alright back home.
“As soon as he’s got home, the situation has been one that he’s needed to stay, really, and for us, we’ll miss him as a player and as a person.”
With Jay Pitts injured following last week’s defeat to Leeds, the Wakefield boss was asked who could potentially replace Nikotemo in the side.
“Mike [McMeeken] played there last week,” he said. “We do have an option to manipulate the team a little bit. At a push, Cam Scott can play there as well, so we do have options.
“Pittsy will be out for a couple of weeks with his bicep, so it does leave us a little bit isolated. We’ve got Jordan Williams who hasn’t played for us yet as an option to come in.
“We’re alright, but a little bit skinnier than we would like to be.”
Explaining Doyle’s departure, Powell said that the club released him so that he could try and find a permanent opportunity elsewhere ahead of the transfer deadline next week.
“He’d been on loan at Bradford, played a couple of games there, but really we just wanted to give him an opportunity to go and play somewhere, earn a deal,” Powell explained.
“He’s had a tough time here with injuries, and hasn’t been able to get on the field and show us what he’s about the last couple of years.
“It’s been enormously frustrating for him, and he’s great kid, ‘Doyley’, we just wanted to look after his future.”
Wakefield Trinity boss issues Jay Pitts injury update
As mentioned, Jay Pitts will be unavailable for the home game against St Helens tomorrow, with Powell revealing:
“He’s got a rupture of his bicep. He could potentially have it done now, but that would be the end of his year, so he’s hanging on to have that done at the end of the year.
“It’s a couple of weeks. He’s got decent strength in it, but he’s gonna need repairing at the end of the year. He wants to keep playing, so yeah, it’ll be a couple of weeks, I think.”
