Wakefield Trinity coach Chris Chester has admitted he isn’t yet sure who his on-field captain for the new season will be: hinting there could be a change for 2018.
Back-rower Danny Kirmond has captained Wakefield since 2012 but, when asked if he knew which direction he would go in with the captaincy, Chester told League Express: “No!
“We’ve got some really good leaders within the playing group and Kirmo is one of them. He’s been a fantastic captain and is a great leader on and off the field – if I’ve got any issues, the first player I go to is him.”
Chester admits he will use their upcoming warm-weather training camp in Lanzarote to finalise his decision on the captaincy, with a number of contenders for the role.
He said: “I’ve not made my mind up just yet. I’ll use these next couple of weeks and we’ve got a few exercises in Lanzarote to try and bring some more leaders in.
There’s guys like Craig Huby and Matty Ashurst who are already in that bracket of being good leaders. Who leads us out in that first game, I’m not sure just yet, but I’ll have a decision after Lanzarote when I name my captain.”
Meanwhile, Trinity will join the number of clubs running a reserve side in 2018 – and he has called on the RFL to make it mandatory in the future.
Chester explained: “We’re going with a reserve grade team this year. We’ve applied and it’s been granted, so. we’ll roll with it. I’d like to see it made compulsory for every Super League team.
“There’s only ourselves, Wigan and St Helens in Super League – then Halifax, Keighley and another Championship side going with it, which is disappointing. We’ll run with it though, we’re looking forward to it and we’ll continue to do so. Hopefully they make it compulsory by the end of this season because that would be a logical move from here, surely.”
“We’ve got four or five young kids, and there’ll be six or seven who miss out every week barring injuries. The rest? We’ll top up with kids from our Academy.
“We thought it was really important to go with a reserve grade. It gives us that opportunity to keep a closer eye on the players. We shipped a few out to Oxford and Dewsbury and it’s not until halfway through the week when you get the footage and you can sit down and go through things with them.
“With a reserve grade that’s easier. We get to be all over what they’re doing. It’s just a huge positive and a must in my eyes.”
