Super League: Wakefield Trinity vs Warrington Wolves talking points and team news
Round 19 of the Betfred Super League season comes to a close on Sunday as Wakefield Trinity face Warrington Wolves at the Mobile Rocket Stadium (kick-off 3pm) in their first game since head coach Chris Chester's departure
Last Updated: 14/08/21 1:36pm
We look at what is being said and team news ahead of Sunday's Betfred Super League match between Wakefield Trinity and Warrington Wolves as Round 19 of the 2021 season comes to a close…
Poching eyes top job at Trinity
Sunday's match at Mobile Rocket Stadium will see a new face in charge of Wakefield for the first time in over five years following the departure of head coach Chris Chester earlier in the week.
Chester's assistant Willie Poching, who played in Wakefield's back row between 1999 and 2001, has been named as interim head coach and will take charge of Trinity for the first time when they host Warrington.
The 47-year-old has garnered an extensive coaching CV since being forced to retire at the end of the 2006 season and has made no secret of his ambitions of earning the top job at Trinity on a full-time basis.
"I'll be throwing my hat into the ring," said Poching, who was assistant coach at Warrington, Huddersfield Giants and Hull Kingston Rovers before joining Wakefield and was given temporary charge of Rovers in 2016 following the departure of Chester.
"When I started playing, I aspired to go right to the top and as far as I could and that didn't change when I set out coaching. I wanted to sit in one of these seats.
"I do want to do it permanently and I do have an audition now. I've also got to see it as just doing my job for the team over the next five weeks and get these guys back to doing what I know they do well."
Wakefield chief executive Michael Carter has already fielded phone calls from interested parties, although is in no rush to appoint a permanent replacement for Chester and is happy to give Poching the opportunity to show he deserves the job.
"We've nothing to rush for at this moment in time," Carter said. "I have great confidence in Willie, and we need to see a reaction from the playing group because ultimately they are the only ones who can change the situation that we find ourselves in."
Wolves aim for winning return
Warrington, currently third in the Super League standings, are aiming to make it three wins in a row as they return to action after an enforced weekend without a game.
A Covid-19 outbreak forced the postponement of their previous match against Hull FC, with the Wolves instead holding a training session last Sunday.
Head coach Steve Price expects Wakefield to adopt a different approach this week following Chester's departure as well as being wary of the threat posed by the returning Mason Lino.
"We were really disappointed we didn't play last week but we had a good training session on the Sunday and it's allowed us to go into a really good week this week," Price said.
"Wakefield may pose a different threat this week, but I just want to wish Chris all the best in his next journey.
"We know they're a good quality team who like to throw the ball around. They ask a lot of questions, they get Mason Lino back this week as well and they've got some big guys going through that middle third."
Team news
Wakefield's interim coach Poching is without centre Reece Lyne, who injured an arm in the defeat at Huddersfield, but scrum-half Lino returns from an ankle injury and second row Jay Pitts is back from suspension.
Warrington are boosted by the return of half-back Gareth Widdop from a four-match absence with a knee injury, while winger or full-back Matty Ashton could make his first appearance since May. However, skipper Jack Hughes and hooker Daryl Clark both serve one-match bans.
Named squads
Wakefield Trinity: Max Jowitt, Tom Johnstone, Liam Kay, Jacob Miller, Mason Lino, David Fifita, Kyle Wood, Tinirau Arona, Matty Ashurst, Kelepi Tanginoa, Joe Westerman, Jay Pitts, Eddie Battye, James Batchelor, Chris Green, Innes Senior, Joe Arundel, Brad Walker, Yusuf Aydin, Lee Kershaw, Ryan Hampshire.
Warrington Wolves: Sitaleki Akauola, Matty Ashton, Blake Austin, Morgan Burgess, Josh Charnley, Mike Cooper, Ben Currie, Matt Davis, Chris Hill, Toby King, Tom Lineham, Jake Mamo, Stefan Ratchford, Josh Thewlis, Danny Walker, Tom Whitehead, Gareth Widdop, George Williams, Connor Wrench.
