England star's 'really like to beat Leeds Rhinos' pledge ahead of Wakefield Trinity Super League return

The 29-year-old England winger is back at his first professional club, Wakefield Trinity, after two seasons with Catalans Dragons and has been counting down the days to their Betfred Super League opener at AMT Headingley. It is the start of a new era for Trinity - who were promoted last autumn following a single season in the Championship - and Johnstone, after he scored 86 tries in 101 Super League games during his first spell, from 2015-2022.

Born in Germany, but brought up in West Yorkshire, Johnstone played his first rugby league for the Stanningley community club and revealed: “I absolutely love playing at Leeds, it is probably my favourite away ground. And I do really like to beat Leeds as well, having grown up as a kid watching them. I am really looking forward to it, round one - it is going to be pretty special.”

The winger has no divided loyalties, despite his earlier affection for Rhinos. He added: “I was a Leeds fan. I had a season ticket with my grandad when I was a kid, but Wakefield is my club now. It is a club I think of very fondly and it’s one I will probably be a supporter of for the rest of my life.”

A win at Leeds in the opening round would send the message Trinity mean business this year. Johnstone, who is on a four-year contract, insisted: “We want to compete, we want to play some exciting, expansive rugby, so we will see where we get to. I am excited, I think we’ve looked really good in training and the pre-season games. We want to try and push up there and over the next four years I want to see us in the play-offs and challenging for things.”

Johnstone has recovered fully from a broken leg suffered last summer and was among the try scorers when Trinity hammered Goole Vikings 82-0 in the Challenge Cup. “The club has completely changed since I left and I am really enjoying the new place,” he said.

“It is good to be back in the country, around family, as well. I absolutely loved my two years [in France], but I’ve got two young kids now, they love being around their grandparents and I missed my family. I am back with friends like Max [Jowitt] I’ve been with for the last 10 years, so I am more than happy to be home.”

Since Johnstone left, Mark Ellis has taken over as Trinity owner, with Daryl Powell appointed coach. “The club’s more professional now in all aspects,” Johnstone observed. “The ground is still getting a bit of work done, but it is heading in the right direction. The facilities for recovery are good and the mindset of the club, the ambition - it has got a different outlook now.

“Powelly has come in as well and everyone wants to achieve. We don’t want to hang on at the bottom of the table, we want to push up and see where we can get to.”

Johnstone reckons he has also changed since the last time he pulled on a Trinity jersey in Super League. He stressed: “I am a bit more mature, a bit older. I know what I need to do and I am going to try and lead by my actions. But there’s other aspects as well - off the pitch I look after myself a lot better now. I am not that young, naive kid now. I have learned a bit over the years.”