Wakefield boss James Webster says on-loan Salford half-back Tim Smith wants to join the club permanently.
The mercurial Australian, who re-joined the Wildcats temporarily in June, has transformed Wakefield’s season since returning and had a hand in five tries yesterday in a stunning 42-6 win against his parent club.
He is due to return to Salford in the coming weeks, with Wakefield retaining only faint hopes of qualifying for the play-offs. But coach Webster admits he is desperate to make the deal permanent and believes the player shares his ambition.
“Tim was outstanding,” Webster said. “He is the heart and soul of our side and, when he’s the main man, he just creates so much space and time in our team. It’s no coincidence that we’ve improved a lot since Tim came.
“We did some good business by getting Tim when we did and hopefully that can continue.
“Salford haven’t said ‘no’. I know Tim would like to stay. He’s got nothing against Salford but he enjoys playing here. It’s getting to the stage where it needs to get done.”
