WAKEFIELD are showing the rest of Super League how to recruit from overseas, according to one of their successful quota signings.
Caius Faatili enjoyed an eye-catching first season at Trinity in 2025 despite arriving at the club with no top-level experience.
The prop, who joined from Queensland Cup side Sunshine Coast Falcons, scored eight tries in 28 appearances and became a firm fan favourite.
Only a couple of years previously, Wakefield would not have been able to sign Faatili due to visa rules which meant only regular NRL players or internationals could move to the UK.
At the beginning of 2024, that was significantly relaxed to allow players aged 24 and under to move and play full-time if they have featured regularly at second-tier level in the Queensland or New South Wales Cups.
The change coincided with Matt Ellis taking ownership of Trinity, Daryl Powell joining as head coach and Ste Mills being appointed their recruitment manager (he’s now director of rugby).
And the club took advantage, signing players including Caleb Hamlin-Uele, Ky Rodwell and Isaiah Vagana, who would previously have been illegible to help them win the Championship title.
The policy continued in Super League, with Faatili joined by Seth Nikotemo last season, and Tray Lolesio a fresh arrival for this year from Redcliffe Dolphins.
Many other clubs are now following a similar path, not least with the overseas quota expansion, which allows each to have ten non-federation trained players.
With Super League’s growth to 14 teams raising the number of overseas spots in the competition from 84 to 140, the wisdom of recruiting more young talent from down under has been much discussed.
But Faatili told League Express: “Wakey has done it really well, giving young players a shot, both internationally and locally.
“With the rule changes and the quota spots, when I found about the new ruling I got onto my agent and I was pretty keen to get over here and give it a shot.
“Millsy does an awesome job, with the amount of talent that he’s found in the short time he’s been around.
“They get good boys, and that’s off the field as well. Some people think you just need good footy players but you have to get good blokes as well. We’ve got an awesome playing group.
“I think Wakey has done one of the best jobs of getting a balance with the international quota spots.
“You see a couple of other clubs getting younger boys as well which is good.”