Wakefield Trinity new boys set to feature in Boxing Day game with Leeds Rhinos

Head coach Daryl Powell has confirmed that new signings will be in the Trinity line-up at Headingley alongside the best of the club’s youngsters with Leeds Rhinos also set to field a similar mix and match line-up.

The line-up is set to include the latest recruit, Jayden Myers, who has arrived from Bradford Bulls in the last week while, fitness permitting, Jake Trueman, Corey Hall, Olly Russell, Josh Rourke and Seth Nikotemo will also be the most likely new boys to feature.

Powell explained: "It’s always interesting playing at Christmas and it’s an opportunity to have a look at quite a few of our new players in particular and some young players as well. It will be a good mix.

"I’m looking forward to seeing where we are at attitude-wise. I don’t think it matters who it is taking the field for Wakefield Trinity, they should have a great attitude and a winning attitude – it’s something we’ve worked really hard on.

"We believe in certain things, and I’m just looking for us to really live those values across Christmas and the game on Boxing Day.”

Powell added: "I spoke to Brad Arthur and they’re going to go strong early on. We’ll be pretty strong early on then like it does you put some young players on.

"There’s nothing riding on the result – the fans will get to see a lot of our new players, which is important, I think, and we’ll see where we’re at.

"It’s a short pre-season this year. With our Grand Final being quite late we’ve come in a little bit later than normal.

"So we’ll not be all singing and dancing, I don’t expect it to be, but I do expect to see character with our values and putting in place some of the things we’ve been working really hard on in pre-season.

"The boys are looking fit so show how fit you are. Every time you go on a rugby league field you’ve got to be good, it’s challenging.

“We’ll go and show how good we are going to be this year.

"We feel like we’ve got good depth and we’ll start to find out come Boxing Day.”

"The impressive thing is the shape they've pretty much all come back in. We've done some testing, which has been exceptional.

“The halves that we've signed, Truey and Oli Russell, are looking great and have been driving training really well. Oli Pratt has come back and stepped up again.

"What I saw last year was a player who I'm not sure 100 per cent believed in himself when he started off if I'm honest. He improved throughout the year and was one of our better players once he grabbed hold of the coaching.

"Shenny did a lot of high quality coaching with him last year, mentally he changed and physically he worked really hard. He looks like he has gone to another level this pre-season.

"He's a tough kid, I believe he's ready whether that be at centre or wing."