Championship

Wakefield Trinity interested in NRL star

by
Ollie Mitchell
March 5, 2024

All seems good at Wakefield Trinity at present with Daryl Powell’s side progressing into the semi-finals of the 1895 Cup at the weekend and now owner Matt Ellis has revealed they could be set to make another new signing.

Since Ellis took the club over at the end of the 2023 season there have been wholesale changes with a new coaching staff, playing squad and a revamped stadium all being part of the local businessman’s tenure as Wakefield Trinity owner.

The victories in both the Challenge Cup and the 1895 Cup have come too with Trinity now one game away from reaching the last 16 of the Challenge Cup and one game away from Wembley in the 1895 Cup,

Their Championship campaign will begin in two weeks when they host Bradford Bulls in what is anticipated to be a near-sold-out stadium after incredible season ticket sales with fans feeling a huge sense of pride and positivity in their club for the first time in a long time.

More positive news could be coming soon for Wakefield Trinity fans with owner Matt Ellis revealing to BBC West Yorkshire that another new signing from down under could be imminent.

Wakefield Trinity continues ambitious development

Wakefield Trinity

Despite the fact the club have yet to be promoted back to Super League, albeit a very likely outcome given their strong IMG ranking, Ellis first explained that Wakefield Trinity no longer intend to be the whipping boys of Super League.

Instead, he hopes they can be playoff contenders as he said: “We’re not just aiming for second, third bottom of Super League, you know, we want to try to break into the top six.”

They might have a very strong Championship squad, and a squad that is arguably more improved than the side that got relegated from Super League, but they’ll need to add to it if they do intend to break into the playoffs.

Plenty of names have been linked with the club in order to try and make that happen, such as former Trinity flyer Tom Johnstone, and Ellis has explained that players of that calibre will be targetted.

He said: “It’s 100% those sort of players that we’re looking at, Steve Mills is looking at, and obviously Daryl and myself – we’re discussing players for next year that we want to bring in.

“We’ve got a budget for next year… it’s good that we were almost going from the Championship budget up, so we have got a bit of freedom, as it were, to sign some players. Obviously, we’ve got to (make signings).

“We can’t announce or do deals before we can legally do so, but yeah they’re the ones – who wouldn’t be interested in them?”

One man that has been linked with a move to Wakefield Trinity is Ky Rodwell of Parramatta Eels with the 24-year-old forward having debuted in the NRL in 2021.

Wakefield have already recruited talent from down under this off-season but Rodwell could be the next with Ellis confirming that the club are in contact with his agent.

“Yeah I mean, Steve Mills is speaking to his agent a lot,” he explained.

“I think the player wants to come. I’m leaving it a little bit with Steve Mills, that. He’s been identified as a player that Mills and Daryl are excited about, and we’re trying our best to get him over.

“I think the NRL salary cap rules are sort of meaning that probably a deal, if it’s going to happen, it’ll be done in a couple of weeks because obviously he’s got a window where he can join – that I think is the end of April.

“We’re trying to get him over 100%. Millsy is confident that the player wants to come but it’s just about the club over there agreeing.”