Wakefield Trinity news: huge boost as young star Harvey Smith signs long-term deal

Nineteen-year-old hooker Harvey Smith has signed a five-year deal, keeping him at Trinity until the end of the 2030 season. That follows this week’s announcement of a similar arrangement with 22-year-old winger Jayden Myers and new four-year terms for prop Ellis Lingard, aged 18.

Smith has been a breakout star of Betfred Super League in 2025, playing in 20 games. He made his Trinity first team debut as a substitute in the final match of the 2023 Super League season and went on to feature 13 times during last year’s title-winning Championship campaign.

Smith said: “I am really pleased to re-sign with Wakefield until [the end of] 2030. The club is going in a really good direction and I can’t wait to be a part of that. I’d like to thank all the coaches and players, as well as Matt [Ellis, Trinity’s owner] and his family for helping turn around the club and for putting us in a position where we will be challenging for silverware in the near future.”

Speaking at his weekly review press conference today (Friday), Trinity coach Daryl Powell – whose side play host to Huddersfiueld Giants tomorrow – described Smith’s form in 2025 as “outstanding”. He said: “This year has been massive for him. Thomas Doyle was probably in front of him at the start of the year, but he has had a fair few injuries and that has really given Harvey an opportunity to show what he can do. He is a well brought up young guy and he has handled everything really well. I am delighted for him and delighted for the club.”

Powell stressed Trinity want to become known for giving an opportunity to home-grown talent. He insisted: “You want to keep your young players. That’s something Wakefield hasn’t always been the best at, so that’s key.

“You want to nurture the young players you bring through your system and keep hold of them. That’s really important, I think. Jayden’s a bit different because he came from Bradford, but he looks like he is going to be a quality player.

“Ellis got his Super League debut this year, which was great for him. He handled that really well and is growing and Harvey has really excelled this year as a 19-year-old going into a Super League environment, at number nine, in the middle where there’s a lot of really athletic, big boys coming at you.

“He has dealt with that well and his confidence is growing. That is only going to grow more as he plays more and has another pre-season. I think it says a lot about the club that we are going early and not sitting on our hands with young players and thinking we can leave them on the contract they are on.

“We did that with Oliver Pratt as well, another young player who has come through the system and done really well - go early and pay them what they deserve. That’s something we’ve really looked at and the club has done an awesome job to make sure we are keeping these young players. Everywhere you go, in any sport, people want to see home-grown young players in the team.”