WAKEFIELD TRINITY are in a new era under new owner Matt Ellis and new head coach Daryl Powell.
Formerly of Castleford Tigers, Powell turned the Tigers from perennial strugglers into silverware contenders – a transformation that Ellis is hoping Powell can replicate at Belle Vue.
After a disappointing spell with the Warrington Wolves, Powell is back in West Yorkshire – and it feels like home.
So why did Powell join up with Trinity?
“Talking to Matt Ellis, when he first sent a message I thought he was trying to sell me a kitchen but as it came about, he wanted to talk to me about taking the Wakefield job,” Powell said.
“For me it’s right up my street, it’s a rebuild, a change of culture and an opportunity I’ve always gone after. I’ve done it a fair few times, there’s only once where it hasn’t really worked out.
“This is a great opportunity, the club is changing under Matt. You can see with the facilities and the way Matt is talking about developing the whole ground and supporting the growth of the team, signing high-quality players for now and the future. It’s a perfect opportunity.
“I didn’t want to leave it where it ended at Warrington – that wouldn’t have been a great way to end my career! This is the perfect chance how Matt talks about what he wants to do at the club. It’s a perfect fit for me.”
In terms of why it perhaps didn’t work out at Warrington, Powell didn’t want to get into that too much. However, he did hint about there being a lack of buy-in with his attempts to change the culture.
“I probably don’t need to go into that, I could talk about all sorts. I just think it’s important to move on to what we are doing here at Wakefield.
“Culture will change if people want to change ultimately, and if they don’t want to, it won’t. I’ll give you that.”
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