TOM JOHNSTONE’S return was a timely boost for Challenge Cup quarter-finalists Wakefield Trinity – and Jayden Myers is hoping he can stay in the fight for their other wing spot.
England star Johnstone had a hernia operation in the off-season and then suffered a slight tear to his knee cartilage on the eve of the new campaign.
But he gave a man-of-the-match display in his first game of the year to help Wakefield beat Leeds Rhinos 24-14 and secure passage to the next round.
Daryl Powell has rotated his threequarter line in the early weeks of the season with Myers, Will Tate and Lachlan Walmsley all tried out wide as well as fullback Josh Rourke and centre Oliver Pratt.
Myers has played the last three games and he told League Express: “They (the coaches) have made it very clear that the wing spot is not cemented, it’s up for grabs.
“I’d like to think with my performances I’ve maybe put my foot in the door. I know I’ve still got a lot to work on.”
In making a transition from centre to winger, Johnstone has been a role model for Myers, who said following the Leeds game: “Tom was the best player on the field by far.
“I’m just trying to shadow him in training, he’s helping me a lot. Having people like that on the team is great – I want to try and get to that level.”
Victory over the Rhinos came following a 23-minute delay when the DIY Kitchens Stadium floodlights went out, which the club attributed to an “isolated cable fault”.
Myers said: “We were all really confused what was going on. We were told it would be about a 15-minute wait to get it all sorted.
“When they said we’re ready (to resume), we all got up but only one light had been turned on so we all sat back down!
“We’d started well, and we did well to get back into the arm wrestle and it was a good, competitive game.
“Our middles were so dominant (in the second half) with how they defended and sucked the life out of Leeds.”
Wakefield have a Super League record of two wins and two defeats ahead of Friday’s home meeting with Leigh Leopards and Myers think the cup win should be “a massive confidence boost”.
He added: “Like last year, it’s been a bit of a ropey start but we’ll build on this game.
“We’ve proven everyone wrong – there wasn’t a person outside of this club who thought we were going to win tonight, but we believed in ourselves and proved a point.”