If Wakefield Trinity are to truly be top four and top two contenders this season, their next fortnight is arguably the most crucial of the year.
Trinity have upcoming games against Hull KR later today and Wigan Warriors next week – two fixtures that they need results in if they want to remain in the title contention.
Daryl Powell’s side have a great chance to earn a win today, with doubt over Mikey Lewis’ fitness and the Robins coming off the back of a Challenge Cup Final loss suggesting they could emerge as victors this afternoon.
Next week, they will host Wigan, who have had a busy two weeks after their Wembley win followed by a trip to Paris to take on Catalans Dragons – a game that will also take place today.
All that travel could lead to fatugue, and a strong Wakefield side could well earn revenge on the Warriors, who dumped Trinity out of thr Cup back in April.
Boss Powell knows what an important two games these will be, though the fact that they will both be played at Belle Vue gives his side a major advantage.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for us to show how good we can be,” he said to the press earlier this week. “I think we’re in a great place, exactly where we want to be.
“I think this is a time for us to put our foot down over the next couple of weeks, you can only play one game at a time.
“Hull KR is a great opportunity for us to get after it and go and play against the top team. Let’s be right, they’ve proved last year exactly what they are, they’re the best team in the comp, so that should get you mentally exactly where you need to be. I’m expecting us to be exactly where we need to be.”
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Wakefield Trinity set for crucial two-game period
Asked what he makes of the Robins, who will come into this game hurting, Powell added: “That all depends on us.
“I think we can’t really worry too much about them. It’s just us and how we go about the game.
“We’ve had a week off from playing. Players have had a little bit of time freshening up. I think for us, we just need to be bang at it and really get after Hull KR.
“Nothing happens on its own, whether it’s fatigue in the opposition or the team’s on a losing streak. Whatever it is, nothing happens on its own. It’s all about the way you play the game that finds anything that might be there in the opposition.
“They’ve played in a Challenge Cup final. It’s always a tough game to play the game after. I think in general, Hull KR have handled that pretty well.
“It brings its own challenges, but ultimately it’s about us and how we play and making sure that we do what we need to do to win this game, which we know will be a tough challenge.
“I don’t think a team like Hull KR rolls over at any point, but we’ve got to make sure we play the game we want to play.”
After losing back-to-back in games against Leeds and St Helens a few weeks ago, those were two games that the club had to win at least one of if they were to cement themselves as title contenders.
That makes these two fixtures even more crucial, and with Wakefield winning just one of their five games against teams currently in the play-offs this season, that is one stat that needs to change if Trinity want to remain in the top four, and certainly top two, race.
