Wakefield Trinity’s Super League clash with Toulouse Olympique already billed as decisive

Houles was devastated as a last-minute drop-goal handed his side a 29-28 defeat at home to Wigan but he said his players had to pick their heads up and improve against potential relegation rivals Trinity.

He said: “We know next week’s game against Wakefield will be crucial, we both desperately need the points even so early in the season but I won’t add any pressure on the boys, we just have to stick to our process and keep building.”

Toulouse led until the final minute but Harry Smith’s 79th-minute kick ruined hopes of a first Super League victory for the bottom club.

Houles added: “I’m just so disappointed for the boys because they don’t deserve to be on the losing side.

“That’s the most frustrating part. But from where we’re coming from, we can see that the process is working and the boys now know what we expect from them, how we want to work and play.

“They pushed Wigan all the way, so it is encouraging, but when you play sports you want to win. It’s a tough one, I thought it was there for us to take it and it’s no good complaining, we have to focus on the things that we can improve.”

Relieved Wigan coach Matt Peet said he wasn’t surprised by the test presented by the hosts.

“I knew they are getting better week on week and it is clear that the win is getting closer for them,” he said.

“I thought we started excellently, our attitude was in the right place. It wasn’t a situation where we didn’t turn up, it’s simply that Toulouse played themselves back into the game. We have lots of lessons to learn from this game. Toulouse were the outstanding team on the night.”