Wakefield boss Chris Chester has claimed Tom Johnstone was dropped for tactical reasons.
The winger was a notable absentee for the club’s impressive victory over St Helens, with Bill Tupou and Ben Jones-Bishop playing on the wings.
Chester confirmed that he, along with Pauli Pauli and Ryan Hampshire, had been dropped due to their recent performances.
“Not playing Tom Johnstone, not playing Pauli Pauli, not playing Rocky Hampshire, they know the reasons why they’ve not played this week,” Chester said.
“We’ve got no injuries, we made a few changes to the squad. That result and the performance has made it very, very difficult for me next week.
“I think it sends a clear message out to the rest of the group that it doesn’t matter who you are, if you’re not particularly playing well and doing your job then you find yourself sat on the sidelines.
“We made those decisions as a collective staff and it seems to have paid off.”
