'Good luck Leeds Rhinos': Wakefield Trinity boss' heartfelt message ahead of crucial Super League weekend

Toulouse are two points behind Wakefield, with a better points difference, so Trinity will go bottom of Betfred Super League if the French side win this evening.

Trinity, who visit third-bottom Hull KR tomorrow, have already given Rhinos a helping hand with the loan of prop Yusuf Aydin who will make his Leeds debut today.

And Poching admitted he has passed on a good luck message to Rhinos coach Rohan Smith.

“I had a quick chat with him on Monday, obviously about Yusuf Aydin, but wished him all the best,” he confirmed.

“I’ll keep an eye [on the result in France] as I do with most games, to see how the other teams are getting on.

“But our focus is on Sunday and doing our job, regardless of that result; we are going out to put the performance in to get the two points.”

Poching said helping Leeds beat Toulouse wasn’t a factor in the Aydin deal.

He admitted: “At the time, I wasn’t too sure who they were playing.

“They were in need of a middle and it was a good opportunity for Yusuf to play Super League while he wasn’t in our squad.”

Four of Rhinos’ five props are suspended and Poching stressed Aydin’s temporary move came about through “their sheer need for middles”.

He added: “He wasn’t in our squad for this week so he can go for two weeks and then we’ll look to bring him back and get him in our squad.

“It is an opportunity for him to get some Super League experience and play against some quality opposition.”

Though Aydin’s Trinity contract expires this autumn, Poching pledged he is “very much” their plans for 2023.

“He’s young, English and a Wakefield lad,” he said.

“He’s young as a front-rower, he has got plenty ahead of him and he’s very much in our thoughts going forward.”

Aydin will also be eligible for Rhinos’ home clash with Wigan Warriors on Thursday, but Matt Prior will be back after that and Poching said it is unlikely the loan will be extended.

“He has fitted in very well,” Poching said of the new arrival, who has played Test rugby for both Samoa and Tonga.

“He is a man of very few words, but his actions have spoken volumes this week - how he has gone about things and fitted in with the team.

“He has sat back, watched, learned and asked questions and you can sense his excitement if he gets an opportunity to play this week.”

Prop Josh Bowden, signed from Hull, could also make his first appearance for Trinity, replacing the suspended Rob Butler.

Mason Lino, Eddie Battye, Lee Gaskell and Harry Bowes are included in Trinity’s initial 21 after not featuring in last week’s 38-26 loss to Toulouse.

Wakefield led 20-4 midway through that game, but suffered a catastrophic collapse in the second half.

Poching insisted: “I’ve seen a really good energy in the group this week, in response to what happened last Saturday.

“They have gone about it the right way, we had some deep discussions on Sunday in the post mortem and came in and attacked it on Monday in the way we needed to. That set a platform for us through the week.”

Rovers’ caretaker-coach Danny McGuire played alongside Poching when Leeds won their first Super League title in 2004.

Defeat would drag Rovers into the relegation battle, but Poching warned: “Magsy knows the game inside out and he will be trying to pass on some of that.

“You can’t change everything overnight, but he will be trying to fine-tune things and he has brought [former Leeds player] Brett Delaney across, who will bring some passion.

“He played with passion and put his body on the line and I am sure they’ll be asking their players to do the same.”

With eight rounds remaining after this weekend, Trinity still have time to secure Super League safety, but Poching has not had to play up the importance of tomorrow’s game to his players.

“They know enough, without me having to pile that on them,” he said.

“We all know the situation we are in, but we understand the road to get out of it, too.”

Rovers are without Albert Vete (groin) and Frankie Halton (shoulder) from the side which lost to Hull last week, but George King (hamstring), Ryan Hall (rib) and Ethan Ryan (calf muscle) are back in contention.

Hull KR: from Coote, Crooks, Kenny-Dowall, Hall, Parcell, King, Hadley, Litten, Sims, Minchella, Keinhorst, Dagger, Lewis, Milnes, Maher, Ryan, Wood, Richards, Tate, Fishwick, Royle.

Wakefield Trinity: from Jowitt, Miller, Lino, Battye, Hood, Arona, Ashurst, Tanginoa, Pitts, Crowther, Whitbread, Batchelor, Gaskell, Croft, Walker, Bowes, Murphy, Hall, Fifita, Bowden, Taufua.

Referee: Marcus Griffiths (Widnes).

Kick-off: Tomorrow, 3pm.