
Wakefield Trinity coach and former Man of Steel Luke Gale is coming out of retirement, for one game only. Gale hung up his boots at the end of last season after helping Trinity win promotion back to Super League at the first attempt.
The 36-year-old is now on Wakefield’s coaching staff, but is planning a brief appearance in his testimonial game at home to Castleford Tigers on Friday.
“There’ll be a little cameo role for me for maybe 15-20 minutes at the end,” Gale confirmed.
But he stressed: “There was an option to carry on playing this year, but I decided to take up a coaching role, which I am loving.
“That was the right decision, there’s no regrets about retiring. I do half my time with the first team and then head-coach of the academy which I am really enjoying and is really rewarding as well.”
Wakefield Trinity, who returned from warm weather training on Monday, will field a strong squad for the opening hour, then give some youngsters a go in the last quarter, along with Gale.
He said: “I jumped in on the 13 v 13 stuff over in Tenerife, which got my eye in for this week. I’ll go from coach of the academy lads to teammate – instead of me telling them what to do, they might be giving me orders.”
With bad weather in this country having disrupted both sides’ preparations, Friday’s derby is an important fixture, 22 days before Trinity’s Betfred Super League opener at Leeds Rhinos on Saturday, February 15.
Gale stressed: “Both teams have kind of missed a pre-season game, so we want to get a fair bit out of it and so do Castleford.
“It is going to be good, it is interesting because we have got a new squad and so have they. We have got a lot of new players so we are kind of at the stage of getting to know what works best and the different variations, but training has been fantastic.
“We don’t have the biggest of squads and we’ve lost a couple through pre-season, which always happens, but hopefully we get them back towards round one and we are ready to go.
“[On Friday] we are going to see what we need to fix up and what we are doing well. It is going to be a good test and it’s what’s needed at this stage of our preparation.”
Gale made his professional debut for Doncaster in 2007 and had spells with Harlequins RL and Bradford Bulls before joining Tigers in 2015.
He was Man of Steel two years later and returned to home city club Leeds Rhinos, where he came through the academy, in 2020.
Stints with Hull FC and Keighley Cougars followed ahead of a move to Trinity two years ago, but he is best-known for his time at Tigers, particularly the 2017 season when they topped the table and were Grand Final runners-up.
“I had five great seasons there and played the best rugby of my career there,” Gale recalled.
“It was a great part of my career and we’ve got a lot of ties with Castleford with Powelly [coach Daryl Powell] and Shenny [assistant-boss Michael Shenton] having been there as well.
“Playing them in my testimonial is the best fit, is going to be great. I am expecting a bit of stick and a few songs from the Cas fans, but that’s all part of rugby league – I am looking forward to that, it should be good craic.”
Former Tigers forward Mike McMeeken will make his first appearance for Trinity following an off-season move from Catalans Dragons and ex-Hull KR man Matt Storton is also set for his debut.
They are joined in a 22-man squad by fellow recruits Cam Scott, Jake Trueman, Olly Russell, Seth Nikotemo, Josh Rourke and Matty Russell, who all featured when Trinity lost at Leeds on Boxing Day.
Max Jowitt, Liam Hood, Jay Pitts and Matty Russell are included after not being involved in the Christmas fixture.
Tigers coach Danny McGuire has named a 29-man squad including new faces Zac Cini, Daejarn Asi, Jeremiah Simbiken, Judah Rimbu and Dan Okoro.
Wakefield Trinity squad: Max Jowitt, Lachlan Walmsley, Cam Scott, JakeTrueman, Oliver Russell, Mike McMeeken, Liam Hood, Ky Rodwell, Seth Nikotemo, Jay Pitts, Caleb Hamlin-Uele, Matty Storton, Isaiah Vagana, Oliver Pratt, Mason Lino, Josh Rourke, Matty Russell, Jack Croft, Isaac Shaw, Harvey Smith, Ellis Lingard, Luke Gale.
Castleford Tigers squad: Tex Hoy, Jason Qareqare, Zac Cini, Sam Wood, Innes Senior, Daejarn Asi, Liam Watts, Liam Horne, George Lawler, Jeremiah Simbiken, Alex Mellor, Joe Westerman, Judah Rimbu, George Griffin, Cain Robb, Luke Hooley, Josh Hodson, Muizz Mustapha, Sylvester Namo, Fletcher Rooney, Josh Simm, George Hill, Jenson Windley, Akim Matvejev, Daniel Sarbah, Sam Darley, Jacob Hall, Dan Okoro, Sam Grice.
