Wakefield Trinity are finally homeward bound and, as he prepares for Friday’s clash with Catalans Dragons, coach Chris Chester is confident his side is closing in on a first win of the campaign, despite losing another key player to injury.
Trinity will be without fullback or halfback Ryan Hampshire, who revealed on social media that he broke his jaw at Hull on Friday.
The loss of Hampshire, who played in the halves in the absence of knee-injury victim Jacob Miller, was a major setback.
But Chester, who is also checking on fullback Max Jowitt (head), remains defiant as he plots a first victory since September, when Leeds were seen off 30-6, in what is only his side’s third game at the Mobile Rocket Stadium since March of last year.
So far this season Trinity have suffered five defeats in five, all on their travels.
After the opening game against Leeds at Emerald Headingley came three successive trips to the Totally Wicked Stadium, to play Wigan, Catalans in the Challenge Cup and St Helens.
Wakefield were beaten 20-14 at Hull and, if last season is included, they have now lost seven in succession.
Hull KR were beaten 48-18 in September while Leeds won 20-18 in November. Even without the likes of captain Miller, Hampshire, star winger Tom Johnstone, who has been stood down until the middle of next month because of concussions, hooker Josh Wood (hamstring) and possibly Jowitt, Chester believes revenge can be gained after a 26-6 cup third-round defeat by Catalans earlier this month.
“I thought we had a real good dig,” he said after the game at Hull, where Lee Kershaw, James Batchelor and Mason Lino crossed for tries.
“We played for 80 minutes. We just didn’t help ourselves.
“There’s a group there that are really busting a gut and we are getting as much as we can out of this group.
“You can’t fault the effort, you can’t fault it for the last four weeks. We just lacked a bit of quality that Hull have in their team, that’s the top and bottom of it.
“We trust what we are doing, we trust the process and I’m fairly confident results are just around the corner.
“This is the fifth game away from home against four of the top five from last year and you have to play for 80 minutes.
“It’s just frustrating for the players, because their efforts were very good again. We were well in that game and we were disappointed not to come away with the points.”
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