Championship: Wakefield Trinity v Bradford Bulls LIVE
We will bring you all the major updates from the game as odds-on title favourites Wakefield look to start their league campaign under Daryl Powell with a victory over the Bulls. We will also have a match report and reaction from the Trinity camp.
Championship: Wakefield Trinity v Bradford Bulls LIVE
Lights out, show on
The floodlights have gone out here as a light/pyrotechnic show is about to commence! Exciting!
Another great reception
Another loud cheer goes up as the Trinity players leave the pitch after their warm-up. Less than ten minutes to go before kick off. Can Wakefield get their league season off to the perfect start? Stay with us to find out.
The new season
Ahead of the 2024 Championship season, we caught up with Powell and Lachlan Walmsley for a couple of special interviews for our special eight-page 'Kick Off' supplement in the Wakefield Express this week. Here's what Powell had to say for that:
Last week
The pitch was certainly a leveller at Featherstone last Sunday in Wakefield's 14-10 golden point extra time defeat. We're set for yet more wet conditions this evening.
Warm ups
Both sets of players are warming up on a pitch which is getting absolutely soaked. It is pouring down in Wakefield tonight.
"We need to step up"
Powell certainly didn't mince his words after last weekend's surprising loss at Fev. It's fair to say he is looking for a positive response tonight in front of this bumper and expectant crowd. Here is what he had to say in the build-up to the game:
Team News
As for the Bulls:
McGowan, Myers, Jowitt, Gill, Taufua, Gaskell, Lilley, Lawrence, Souter, Smith, Butler, Wilson, Hallas
Interchanges: Green, Appo, Okoro, Flanagan
Team News
Daryl Powell makes a couple of changes from last Sunday's Challenge Cup defeat at Featherstone Rovers. Derrell Olpherts, who only joined from Leeds Rhinos this week, comes into the starting 13 along with Jack Croft, as Liam Hood and Romain Franco miss out. Mathieu Cozza is on the bench in place of Noah Booth.
Team News
This is how Wakefield line up for tonight's game:
Jowitt, Olpherts, Croft, Pratt, Walmsley, Gale, Lino, Bowden, Doyle, Atoni, Ashurst, Griffin, Pitts
Interchanges: Uele, Cozza, Vagana, Smith
Neil Fox MBE
What a moment this is, as Wakefield legend Neil Fox MBE steps out onto the pitch. What a reception (as expected for the club's record career points scorer) he is getting.
Welcome
It's a sell-out crowd here tonight with over 7,000 people expected to see both team's curtain-raiser to the new league campaign - Wakefield's first in the second tier after a 25-year stay in Super League came to an end in September.