Wakefield Trinity gear up for huge test as boss Daryl Powell points to 'absolutely pivotal' 4-game run

Trinity are seventh in Betfred Super League, one place and a point outside the play-offs, ahead of Saturday’s visit of Catalans Dragons in round 17. After that, they have successive away games against Hull FC and Huddersfield Giants before closing the month with a blockbuster derby at home to Leeds Rhinos.

“The next four weeks is absolutely pivotal for us in terms of being in the top-six and being genuine contenders as we roll towards the latter end of the season,” Powell insisted. “We know there’s a bit riding on what we are doing over the next month.

“We are sat around the top-six at the moment and I think we’ve competed really well. We’ve played all the top four in our last four games and been there or thereabouts, apart from the second half last week [at Hull KR]. We are in a great place and it’s a great opportunity for us over the next month to get some players back and start to play how we know we can.”

Catalans lost seven successive league and cup matches following their golden-point extra-time win against Wakefield in Perpignan three months ago, but broke that streak with a 32-0 home hammering of Giants last weekend. They have Chris Satae back from suspension to boost their pack and Powell warned: “It’ll be physical.

“They’ve been through a period where they weren’t scoring points and they were rattled after Steve [McNamara, their former coach] left. They look like they have stabilised and they took Huddersfield apart a bit last week.

“They have a very big, physical middle-unit and some very explosive players, lots of offloads, so they are a dangerous team. They’ve got some intelligence in there in Luke Keary and Sam Tomkins who can pick a team apart. We know it is going to be a tough game, but I think it is a key game for both clubs. I’d expect it to be high intensity and high quality.”

Trinity are without stand-off Jake Trueman because of concussion, but forwards Caleb Hamlin-Uele and Mike McMeeken could return from injury. McMeeken and winger Tom Johnstone - who both joined Trinity from Catalans ahead of this season - have been named in the England train-on squad ahead of this autumn’s Ashes.

“It’s great for those guys,” Powell said. “They’ve been around it for a while now and their performances have justified them being in that. I am delighted for the club and the individual players. We feel like we’ll have a few more in there in the future, but for the moment, those guys fully deserve it.”

One Trinity man who missed out was full-back Max Jowitt. Of his omission, Powell admitted: “It has been hard for Max, because he has played quite a lot at half-back. In some ways that’s really good for him as it proves he has got another string to his bow, but on the other hand I don’t think he is going to play international at half, but he has a chance at full-back.

“He has played quite limited time there because of our half-back injuries, but it is something he’d really like to do. He just needs to keep going and developing. He has certainly improved significantly over the last couple of years and if we get him playing there regularly, he will be pushing for that, for sure.”

Wakefield Trinity from: Jowitt, Walmsley, Scott, Hall, Johnstone, McMeeken, Hood, Nikotemo, Griffin, Pitts, Doyle, Hamlin-Uele, Vagana, Pratt, Lino, Rourke, Croft, Smith, Myers, Faatili, High.

Catalans Dragons: from Tomkins, Makinson, Cotric, Keary, Pangai Jr, Bousquet, Partington, Da Costa, Satae, Navarrete, Sironen, Rouge, Seguier, Dezaria, Yaha, Maria, Aispuro-Bichet, Martin, Darrelatour, Balmforth.

Referee: Tom Grant (Leeds). Kick-off: Saturday, 5.30pm.