Why Catalans Dragons clash could be Wakefield Trinity star David Fifita's last game

The 34-year-old Australian forward returned to Trinity this summer after initially retiring from top level rugby league after the 2022 season.

He revealed this week he will hang up his boots at the end of the campaign, but with his partner heavily pregnant, could leave England before that.

Coach Mark Applegarth confirmed: “He is playing [on Friday], then his partner is due any time so it will be play it by ear after that.

“That’s not a surprise to us and there’s always the option that if we desperately need him, he could hop on a plane for a two or three-day stint.”

Applegarth tried to persuade Fifita to play on next term, but stressed: “He has come back this year and done a job, but he knew his body was creaking a bit and I think he has made the right call for him and his family He has put in a great shift for Wakefield Trinity and it’s only right he goes out on his own terms.”

Long-term casualty Kelepi Tanginoa will return from a broken arm against Catalans, Applegarth said and Jai Whitbread is “50-50” to come back into the 17.

Max Jowitt is also available after injury and will replace Will Dagger, who suffered shoulder ligament damage in last Sunday’s loss to St Helens.

“Max has trained all week, so there’s your obvious replacement,” Applegarth stated. “But Will has played some big games for us and come up with some big plays. It is a big blow, but it is a case of next man up and you crack on.”

With three rounds remaining in Betfred Super League, Wakefield are two points behind second-bottom Castleford Tigers, who play host to Hull FC on Friday.

Applegarth insisted: “It’s do or die and we will be going out there and doing everything we can. If we don’t get another win we are going down, so we have got to be the most desperate team out on that field.”

Wakefield Trinity: from Jowitt, Lineham, Lino, Battye, Hood, Whitbread, Ashurst, Tanginoa, Pitts, Kay, Atoni, Kershaw, Proctor, Bowes, Eseh, Senior, Gale, Croft, Fifita, Franco, Griffin.

Catalans Dragons: from Mourgue, Davies, Keighran, Yaha, Pearce, McMeeken, McIlorum, Bousquet, Whitley, Seguier, Garcia, Da Costa, Goudemand, Navarrete, Rouge, Chan, Romano, Dezaria, Johnstone, Ma’u, Tomkins.

Referee: Aaron Moore (Wigan). Kick-off: Friday, 7.30pm.