Wakefield Trinity: Switch and pre-season's been all good for Mitch

The Australian forward is set to line up in a strong Trinity side and is relishing a crack at opponents tipped to be challenging for the top-four this year.

“Cas are a very strong team,” Allgood said.

“We should be putting together pretty much our best team and it will be a great test to see where we’re at going into the season.”

It is a case of so far, so good for Trinity after wins in their opening two warm-up games.

A strong team crushed Leeds Rhinos 30-6 in the opener and then Wakefield’s youngsters, led by England academy forward James Batchelor, impressed in a 30-26 victory at Kingstone Press Championship outfit Dewsbury Rams last week.

Allgood is confident preparations for the new campaign are “on track”, but he warned: “You can’t get too ahead of yourself with these pre-season games.

“You’d rather win them, but you can’t read too much into them when you do get a good result.

“We’ve maintained doing the tough stuff each week after those games and Sunday will be the real test.”

Allgood, 27, began his career in the NRL with Parramatta Eels and made 36 appearances in a two-season stint with Hull KR.

He is on a one-year contract at Wakefield and admitted linking up again with his former coach Chris Chester was a big lure.

“Chezzy and I have got a good relationship,” he said of the Trinity boss.

“You enjoy your rugby league when you’re playing under him.

“I am looking forward to having some fun this year.

“He got me over to Rovers in 2015 and him being here made the transition a lot easier.

“He has got the ability to relate to players, he understands what you go through and what it takes each week to get you up for the game.

“I think his player management and his knowledge of what it’s like being a player really gives him strength as a coach.”

Allgood, who made his first appearance in the Boxing Day win at Leeds, regards Wakefield as a club on the up after they went from bottom in Super League two years ago to eighth last season.

“I’ve settled in now and I’m really enjoying my time here,” he said.

“It has been a tough pre-season, but one that’ll stand us in good stead for the rest of the year.

“Last year some of the football they were playing, especially in the middle of the season, was a top-four team.

“The task is, moving forward, to be consistent with that each week. That’s what we are aiming to do.

“We are putting in the work now and hopefully we’ll be able to perform at a consistent level throughout the season.”

Trinity’s opening Betfred Super League game is at home to Hull on Sunday, February 12.

That is a tough start, but Allgood reckons it’s the ideal way to kick off.

“They had a great year last year,” he said of the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup holders.

“They are a quality side.

“There’s no better way to test yourself and where you are as a team than by playing one of the best teams in the comp’ straight away.”