Wakefield Trinity in market for game's best players as boss Daryl Powell sets Super League top-4 target

Trinity were relegated to the Betfred Championship after finishing bottom of Super League in 2023, but have a bigger playing budget following new owner Matt Ellis’ takeover, which was completed in the autumn. Tom Johnstone, who was a Grand Finalist with Catalans Dragons last season, has been linked with a return to Trinity for 2025 and while Powell would not comment, he insisted: “The thing we want to be is a top-four team in Super League so I suppose those sorts of rumours will continue. We want to be signing top-quality players, I haven’t got any news on anybody at the moment, but for certain we will be in the market for some of the top players in the game.”

More signings are possible before Trinity begin their 1895 Cup campaign in February, but Powell stressed: “We have got a dual-registration agreement with Wigan so I almost need to make sure there’s space for that, because you want to make sure both teams get what they need from it.

“They have got some quality young players, I think they’ve got 12 middle players, which is deep. We will use those players for the benefit of both. We are always interested in growing our squad, but the Wigan deal does give us a bit of flexibility, which will be important.”

Meanwhile, injuries picked up in the Festive Challenge defeat at Leeds Rhinos on Boxing Day are not a concern, Powell says. He confirmed: “Max Jowitt’s Achilles tightened up. It’s not serious, he will be fine.

“He was saying he could have gone back on, but we didn’t want to risk him. Lachlan Walmsley broke his nose, but he will be all right. Iain Thornley got a bit of a whack to his shoulder, but I don’t think that’s serious and he should be okay as well.”