Agar pleased with France trip

Wakefield coach Richard Agar has been pleased with their pre-season trip to France and believes his new look squad is gelling well.

It’s been a revolving door at Belle Vue for much of the close season, with no fewer than 18 player changes, and the trip to France to face Catalan in Jerome Guisset‘s testimonial on Saturday was seen as a good way of bringing the new group together.

Agar told the club’s official website: “It’s been a terrific trip so far.

“The most pleasing thing though has been how the group has come together.  There’s a real camaraderie and spirit between all the boys and they’ve all hit it off very quickly.

“Catalans have been most accommodating and considering there have been two teams on the same site we’ve not crossed paths or anything like that in terms of training.

“They’re a tough team and a big team so it’ll be a hard game.  I fully expect them to be contending towards the top end of the table this season.”

The Catalan game will be a third pre-season hit out for the Wildcats, following on from the Boxing Day defeat at Leeds and last week’s win over Sheffield.

Wakefield squad v Catalan: Mathers, Fox, Collis, Mellars, Cockayne, John, Wood, Ellis, Raleigh, Lauitiiti, Washbrook, Aiton, Amor, Johnson, Kirmond, Tony, Mariano, Smith, Wildie, Trout, James, Cowling, Walshaw.