I want to be Wakefield Trinity's next head coach says caretaker boss Willie Poching

Poching took charge on an interim basis on Tuesday when long-serving team boss Chris Chester was sacked.

The 47-year-old, who was Chester’s assistant, said: “I will be throwing my hat in.”

The New Zealand-born former Trinity player has had previous spells as assistant-coach at Leeds Rhinos, Warrington Wolves, Salford Red Devils, Huddersfield Giants and Hull KR.

Speaking at his first press conference, he said he feels “immensely proud” to have been placed in charge and stressed: “When I started coaching, very much like when I started playing, I aspired to go right to the top and go as far as I could.

“I set out a long time ago now as a coach and I wanted to sit in one of these seats. I want to do it permanently and I have got an audition now, so to speak.”

Poching stressed his priority is “doing my job for the team over the next five weeks and getting these guys back to what I know they do well”.

Trinity are second from bottom in Betfred Super League, on a five-game losing run and have won only four times this year.

Of what needs to be done to get them back on track, Poching - whose first game is at home to in-form Warrington on Sunday - said: “I’ll analyse some of that as we go along, but it is very tough to change things this week.

“There’s enough mental load going on with the players without me changing things and throwing things that are different at them.

“I know what we have done in the past has worked, we have seen it.

“We are just trying to fine-tweak and reinvigorate and re energise some of the players to be able to perform some of those systems and some of the detail we practice.

“I’ll try and go with that for the time being, until I feel there might be a time I can possibly change things, if I feel it is needed.

“I won’t be making changes just for change’s sake.”

Poching will name his first 21-man squad on Friday..

He revealed Trinity will be without centre Reece Lyne who suffered an arm injury in last Sunday’s loss at Huddersfield.