WAKEFIELD TRINITY are set to remain full-time in the Championship for 2024 as the club looks to bounce back immediately from the heartache of relegation.
The 2023 Super League season has been one of continuous hardship for the West Yorkshire club and its fans, with just four wins from 27 games consigning Wakefield to the second tier for the first time since 1999.
Head coach Mark Applegarth looks set to be replaced as number one by ex-Castleford Tigers and Warrington Wolves boss Daryl Powell, with new owner Matthew Ellis outlining his desire to appoint Powell on a four-year deal.
As well as the ambitious signing of Powell, Ellis has revealed that there will be a recruitment and salary cap manager appointed in a bid to improve recruitment and retention at Belle Vue going forward.
That, of course, will make Powell’s job easier as head coach, enabling the veteran boss to concentrate on coaching rather than finances surrounding recruitment.
Ellis has also promised to invest finances into the club that will enable Trinity to bounce straight back into Super League and then “challenge to be a top six Super League club in the coming years”.
It’s a bold statement but one that certainly matches Ellis’ own ambition to make Wakefield a force to be reckoned with following a number of years dwindling at the bottom of Super League.
Ellis went further, stating: “I will give 100% to achieve all the above at the club, I love a challenge and whilst relegation is not what anyone wants we can turn it into an adventure.
“Let’s get the feel-good factor back at the club whilst going to visit some grounds we haven’t been to for many a year.
“Let’s prove to everyone in the Championship what a big club we are and support the team in numbers home and away. Daryl (Powell) will put together a team that will give its all and make you proud.”
Despite relegation, it is an exciting time to be a Wakefield fan!
Click here to purchase a digital edition of League Express.
Click here to purchase an online edition of League Express through pocketmags.com.
League Express is widely available from local newsagents across the north of England.
