How Wakefield could line-up in 2022
Wakefield have added a handful of new faces to their squad for their 2022 Super League campaign.
Willie Poching will take charge of his first pre-season at the club after being appointed as head coach in September.
The club have welcomed Tom Lineham, Sadiq Adebiyi, Liam Hood and Lee Gaskell to their 2022 squad.
Josh Wood, Joe Westerman, Kyle Wood and Joe Arundel are among those who depart.
Here’s how Wakefield could look in 2022.
1 Max Jowitt
Max Jowitt made 13 appearances last season in Super League, scoring once and assisting eight more. His current contract runs until the end of the 2023 season, and the 24-year-old could be competing with Gaskell for Trinity’s starting full-back spot in 2022.
2 Tom Johnstone
Tom Johnstone is one of the best finishers in the competition, but was limited to just 10 league appearances last year, scoring five tries. He will be looking for an impressive, injury-free season ahead of the upcoming Rugby League World Cup.
3 Bill Tupou
Centre Bill Tupou originally joined Wakefield from Canberra Raiders in 2015, and has gone on to make more than 100 appearances so far. The Tonga international made just eight league appearances last year before injury cut his season short.
4 Reece Lyne
Reece Lyne made 19 Super League appearances last season, scoring five times. An impressive season saw the centre earn a call-up to Shaun Wane’s England squad for their end-of-season test against France.
5 Tom Lineham
Tom Lineham has signed with the club until the end of the 2024 season from Warrington. He made 12 league appearances last season, scoring three tries and making 1,444 metres. Lineham, Johnstone and Liam Kay will be competing for the two available spots on the wing in 2022.
6 Jacob Miller
Jacob Miller made 20 appearances last season, scoring five tries and assisting 15 more. He was also linked with a move to Wigan for 2022 before the Warriors announced the signing of Cade Cust from the NRL.
7 Mason Lino
Wakefield signed Samoa international Mason Lino ahead of the 2021 season from Newcastle Knights, and he certainly impressed in his debut year, scoring five times in 23 appearances. He also assisted nine tries and kicked 75 goals.
8 David Fifita
The powerful prop scored seven tries in 24 appearances for Trinity last season. The Tonga international also grabbed two try assists, and his no-nonsense running style makes him a real threat to most Super League defences.
9 Liam Hood
The former Leigh captain links up with Wakefield on a two-year deal, having been announced alongside Lineham for 2022. The Scotland international began his carer at Leeds, and has since appeared for Salford, Swinton, Widnes and the Centurions.
10 Tinirau Arona
The Cook Islands international made 20 appearances last season, scoring twice. His current contract runs until the end of the 2022 campaign.
11 Matty Ashurst
Matty Ashurst extended his Wakefield contract earlier in June, signing a new two-year deal. The 32-year-old joined Trinity ahead of the 2015 season from Salford, and has gone on to make almost 150 appearances for the club. He scored twice last season.
12 Kelepi Tanginoa
Wakefield fended off interest from home and abroad to retain Australian forward Kelepi Tanginoa, who extended his stay on a four-year deal earlier in 2020. The back-rower made 21 appearances last season and represented the Combined Nations All Stars in their mid-season test against England.
13 Jay Pitts
The former London Broncos, Bradford and Hull forward wore number shirt number 14 last season, but could be promoted to the starting loose forward spot following the departure of Joe Westerman. The 31-year-old has made more than 250 career appearances to date. He scored five tries in 19 appearances in 2021. Jay Pitts currently has the option to extend his contract for a further year into 2023.
Bench
Here’s our pick of how Wakefield’s bench could look…
Bench: Lee Gaskell, Eddie Battye, James Batchelor, Sadiq Adebiyi.