Wakefield Trinity hand shirt number to Championship signing as squad nears completion

Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com - 07/02/2022 - Rugby League - Betfred Championship - Featherstone Rovers v Leigh Centurions - Millennium Stadium, Featherstone, England - Featherstone's Morgan Smith on his way to scoring a try against Leigh.

Wakefield Trinity have been announcing their shirt numbers as if like an advent calendar with one number reveal per day and it’s taken them a long time to get into the new signings but they’re coming in a flurry now.

Following former Kiwi international Kevin Proctor being granted the number 19 shirt yesterday and Renouf Atoni formerly of the Sydney Roosters being granted 17 over the weekend, new signing Morgan Smith has finally been given a shirt.

As expected given the date he will wear number 20 for Trinity this season having signed from Featherstone Rovers.

The 24-year-old half-back missed out on the number six which suggests he won’t assume the starting role straight away but following his step up from the Championship that’s to be expected.

Trinity announced Smith’s number via their Twitter page and also showed the new man in action.

Trinity will have Max Jowitt wearing number one, Jorge Taufua at two with Tom Lineham beating star youngster Lewis Murphy to the number five shirt.

Ex-Leeds Rhinos man Corey Hall takes three with Reece Lyne, the former Hull FC centre who is celebrating a testimonial, keeps four with new signing Samisoni Langi overlooked.

Lee Gaskell will take on six having worn 17 last year whilst Mason Lino has kept seven whilst Eddie Battye was yesterday confirmed as keeping the number eight also ahead of Atoni.

Battye took on the eight shirt left by David Fifita who in his last season moved back to 35 last year.

Battye will now keep it again in 2023 as Atoni’s shirt number remains unclear with Jai Whitbread taking Tinirau Arona’s number 10 in 2023.

Liam Hood has kept nine. Ashurst has kept 11 with Kelepi Tanginoa still at 12 and Jay Pitts at 13 all of whom have beaten new signing Kevin Proctor to their respective squad numbers.

Jordy Crowther has also kept 14 and Liam Kay has moved up to 15.

Ex-Hull FC man Josh Bowden will wear the number 16 shirt and Renouf Atoni is the only new signing to receive a shirt number at 17 and Lee Kershaw remains at 18 whilst Proctor received 19 yesterday.

Here’s their confirmed squad numbers for 2023:

1 Max Jowitt
2 Jorge Taufua
3 Corey Hall
4 Reece Lyne
5 Tom Lineham
6 Lee Gaskell
7 Mason Lino
8 Eddie Battye
9 Liam Hood
10 Jai Whitbread
11 Matty Ashurst
12 Kelepi Tanginoa
13 Jay Pitts
14 Jordy Crowther
15 Liam Kay
16 Josh Bowden
17 Renouf Atoni
18 Lee Kershaw
19 Kevin Proctor

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