MARK APPLEGARTH is hopeful that York Knights’ fixture against Wakefield Trinity this weekend will focus on the two teams, rather than him going up against his old side.
Applegarth led Trinity to Super League relegation back in 2023 before joining York Knights halfway through 2024.
In 2025, Applegarth led the Knights to a first-place finish in the Championship as well as 1895 Cup success and it’s fair to say that the 41-year-old’s stock continues to rise following York’s impressive start to the 2026 Super League campaign.
This weekend’s fixture against Wakefield will be the first battle of the two sides in Super League and Applegarth reflected on his time at Belle Vue.
“I don’t think it’s got anything to do with me, it’s about the teams out there and these things happen in life, life moves and I’ve definitely moved on,” Applegarth said.
“I think Daryl (Powell) is a fantastic coach who is doing a cracking job there. Matt Ellis came in and has invested heavily on and off the field and transformed the club in that sense.
“I’d hate any narrative to be about myself or Daryl and I think there will be two fantastic teams going at each other. I like to think that will take all the headlines.”
Applegarth insists he has no ‘bad blood’ for the way in which his time at Wakefield ended.
“It’s just life, I don’t think there is a right time for anything. An opportunity got presented to me at that moment in time and I took it.
“There’s no bad blood on my part whatsoever and I wish Wakefield nothing but the best barring Friday night when we play them.
“There are some great players there and there are still a few that I recruited from the youth setup. I’ve got some good friends still there like Jay Pitts.
“I like to think every year that I’m improving and that’s the aim. I don’t like revisiting the past because I don’t see what good you get out of it.
“There were obviously some lessons to learn from it and I like to think I’m a better coach from it.”