Warrington Wolves v Wakefield Trinity: Chester refusing to moan about Trinity’s bad luck

Trinity will be without Alex Walker and Jay Pitts who are both isolating following the positive coronavirus tests at last week’s opponents Catalans Dragons.

Liam Kay, who did not play seven days ago, is in quarantine due to a “family situation” and Dave Fifita has been dropped after refusing to wear a GPS tracker.

Reece Lyne will complete a two-game ban and Trinity’s injury list still includes Tom Johnstone (elbow), Ben Jones-Bishop (ill), Danny Brough (hip), Joe Arundel (knee), Lee Kershaw (hamstring) and Ryan Atkins (back).

This week’s setbacks have made an already tough task even harder, but Chester insisted: “We have just got to get on with it.”

He said: “We have lost [four] important guys, one real leader in the team as well, but we have got some other guys who are ready and are chomping at the bit to play.

“They have been unlucky not to get a game over the last two or three weeks so there’s no point whinging and moaning.”

Trinity faced Catalans in successive games, losing 58-0 in Betfred Super League seven days before last Saturday’s spirited 36-24 reverse.

Wakefield’s players underwent routine coronavirus testing on Monday and were re-checked three days later.

Chester admitted: “There was some genuine concern from the players when we sat them down and had a good chat.

“I can totally see where the players are coming from.

“That’s why I felt it was really important we get the testing done [on Thursday] to give the players a lot more peace of mind.”

Trinity have not had any coronavirus cases and Chester said everything possible is being done to keep it that way.

“We have got some policies in place and strict guidelines that let the players know what they can and can’t do,” he stressed.

“We can control what we can control here – we can’t control what they do away from the ground, but I have made it quite clear to the players that we are talking probably 12 more weeks to spend a lot more time at home and not go out of the door as often.

“At the end of the day we could be talking about more cuts if the games don’t go ahead or there may not be a game.

“That’s how important it is we stick to the policies and the code of conduct we have in place.

“So far so good, the players have been fantastic and they have really stuck to the guidelines.”

Warrington are on a four-game winning run either side of lockdown and Chester described them as “one of the best teams in the competition”, but stressed: “Looking at last week’s game, we made some big strides forward.

“We played well in patches, we defended a lot tougher and one pleasing thing for me was they stuck up for themselves as well.

“Warrington like to play and throw the ball around and they are a team we got the better of at the start of the season.

“We have tried to stick to the positives of the last time we played them and from last weekend and we are looking for another good defensive display.”

Tony Gigot is available after injury and Danny Kirmond, James Batchelor, Chris Green, Josh Wood, Yusuf Aydin and Connor Bailey are also in contention for a call-up.

Prop Leilani Latu could make his Warrington debut. Sitaleki Akauola misses the game following the birth of his first child and Ben Murdoch-Masila and Anthony Gelling are suspended.

Warrington Wolves: from Ashton, Austin, Brand, Charnley, D Clark, J Clark, Cooper, Currie, Davis, Hill, Hughes, Kibula, King, Latu, Lineham, Mamo, Philbin, Ratchford, Thewlis, Walker, Widdop.

Wakefield Trinity: from Tupou, Miller, K Wood, Arona, Ashurst, Kirmond, Westerman, Kopczak, Batchelor, Green, Crowther, Jowitt, J Wood, Croft, Hampshire, Aydin, Bailey, Tanginoa, Navarrete, Gigot, Senior.

Referee: Marcus Griffiths (Widnes).

Kick-off: Tomorrow, 6.30pm.