Wakefield captain Danny Kirmond insists a place in the top eight is an achievable goal this year.
The Wildcats finished bottom of Super League last year and only survived relegation in the Million Pound Game.
However, with Brian Smith at the helm for a full year he has overseen a solid recruitment drive which has included the signings of Ben Jones-Bishop, Tinirau Arona and Bill Tupou.
And with that in mind, Kirmond believes Wakefield can steer clear of the Qualifiers for a second consecutive year.
“I think it is a realistic target,” he told the Yorkshire Post.
“It is not a target we are setting in stone, but I think if we perform to the ability we’ve got in the squad and we match the work we’ve put in in pre-season, why not?
“Why can’t we push on and take one of the spots in the top eight? Ultimately the goal is to improve on last year and that’s not being in the million pound game. After that, who knows?”
“Last year, if you had a bad game you’d still be playing, simply because we didn’t have anyone else.
“That was no fault of the coach Webbo [James Webster]; he just didn’t have a big enough squad.
“It was decimated by injuries and it wasn’t a big squad in the first place. You were playing last year regardless of whether you were injured or you were performing well.
“That’s never a good environment to be in as a professional and it doesn’t get the best out of you. This year we’ve brought players in and every position is covered by two or three good players. You are going to have to be playing well to get a starting spot in the team.”
