Wakefield Trinity: CEO Michael Carter lays out recruitment strategy

Wakefield Trinity chief executive Michael Carter wants to look closer to home when it comes to signing players for the 2022 Super League season.
CHIEF EXECUTIVE: Michael Carter. Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.comCHIEF EXECUTIVE: Michael Carter. Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE: Michael Carter. Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com

With a reduced broadcast deal - which Carter previously revealed is set to cost Trinity up to £450,000 a year - coming into force recruitment has become more difficult for a number of clubs within the northern hemisphere.

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Trinity have already signed Sadiq Adebiyi, Lee Gaskell, Liam Hood and Tom Lineham ahead of next campaign and that trend of signing British-based players is likely to continue, according to Carter.

HEAD COACH: Willie Poching. Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.comHEAD COACH: Willie Poching. Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com
HEAD COACH: Willie Poching. Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com

The Wakefield CEO is hoping to add more players from these shores to the Belle Vue club but admits that bolstering what they already have will not be easy.

“Every club has probably got hung up on overseas signings and are prepared to throw things at them: like houses, cars or covering their visa costs - which has become a massive cost in itself,” he said.

“Ideally, I would like to find English-born players that will complement and add to our squad but, unfortunately, they are thin on the ground as well.

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“Every club that has quality English players wants to keep them.”

Wakefield are planning on running with a smaller squad in 2022 as they look to go for quality over quantity as Willie Poching prepares for his first full season in charge.

Trinity secured back-to-back fifth-placed finishes in 2017 and 2018 and Carter felt the club got “extraordinary value” out of their squad during those seasons and it is something they will need to do again to have a successful 2022.

“In some years, we were getting extraordinary value out of our squad. It has slipped for different reasons over the last few years,” he added.

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“We have got to get back to that because it is the way this club will get the most success it can.

“We have talked about internal targets and things we want to aim for and, to achieve those, you need your best players firing on the pitch more weeks than not.

“Again, for many reasons, that hasn’t happened as much as we would have liked over the last two-and-a-half years.

“Recruitment has become a really difficult task for our club over the last year or so.”