Wakefield Trinity hope to see Tom Johnstone enjoy injury-free 2022

Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com - 15/08/2021 - Rugby League - Betfred Super League Round 19 - Wakefield Trinity v Warrington Wolves - Beaumont Legal Stadium, Wakefield, England - Wakefield's Tom Johnstone is congratulated on scoring a try against Warrington.

The England international has seen his career hampered by injury, with the 26-year-old suffering from a number of head knocks last season.

He also spent time out after undergoing knee surgery in the summer. He sustained another head injury as Trinity defeated Huddersfield Giants at Magic Weekend as he missed Wakefield’s final two games of the season.

However, Poching revealed that he was able to train without any contact in the closing weeks of the campaign and believes the winger will be fit and firing when Trinity return for pre-season training next month.

“The last head knock before the one at Magic Weekend he wasn’t the best but the latest one he had he was fine,” said Poching.

“He trained with us without any contact for the last couple of weeks. He was in good spirits and hopefully he will be ready to go in pre-season.

“Tom is focused on having a big pre-season and getting a consistent run of games. We understand how important a player he can be for us and we need him on the field.

"He wants to get out on the field, he will use pre-season to try and get himself in the best shape physically and mentally and we will look after his health along the way as well.”

Poching is planning to bring his players back in for pre-season training at the beginning of November.

Wakefield have already confirmed that the traditional Boxing Day fixture against Leeds Rhinos will go ahead this year.

The friendly did not go ahead last year after the Covid-19 pandemic delayed the end of the 2020 season until November and therefore put back pre-season training to January, meaning players had some rare time off over the festive period.

Poching hopes to use this year’s festive fixture to give some of his younger players a chance to impress as he prepares for his first full season in charge at Belle Vue.

“We are looking at early November to get them back in. That will give them about six weeks off which is standard,” added Poching.

“That will give us a good 12-week pre-season leading into the start around mid-February. We have got the Boxing Day game in there and we will use that game to give a lot of young guys a run out.”