Tyson Smoothy update as Wakefield coach admits departure possible with NRL team circling

Wakefield Trinity coach Daryl Powell admits he is unsure if Tyson Smoothy will be with the club beyond the end of this season – as Perth Bears ponder a move to sign the hooker.

Love Rugby League revealed earlier this month that Smoothy had spoke with Wakefield officials about the possibility of exploring a move away from the club at the end of the year, with the player keen to pursue a return to the NRL for personal reasons.

Wakefield have insisted Smoothy will not leave the club mid-season, something Powell reiterated in his press conference on Thursday morning. There is also no NRL release clause in Smoothy’s contract, meaning Trinity would be entitled to ask for a transfer fee if they wished for the hooker’s services.

And Powell stressed that while the situation for 2026 has not changed, it is unclear what happens for 2027 and beyond despite Smoothy signing a three-year deal with Wakefield.

When asked if there was an update on Smoothy’s situation, Powell said: “Not really. He had a little of family stuff at our last game with his little one and I won’t expand on that.

“I think Tyson is settled and he’ll be here for the rest of the season. Whether he’s here after that, we’ll talk about that down the track. He’s here for the rest of this year, he’s enjoying his time at the club but we’ll see where that goes to down the track.”

Perth interest brewing

It is understood that Perth have explored the prospect of a deal for Smoothy as they look to build their squad for the 2027 campaign, their first in the NRL next year.

Hooker is arguably the one position that Perth have not yet signed a frontline player to be deployed in, having agreed deals for Super League players including Toby Sexton, Harry Newman and Mikolaj Oledzki.

The Bears would make sense as a location for Smoothy, whose departure from Wakefield at the end of the season looks to be all-but certain – leaving them with a dilemma about how they replace the hooker.

Harvey Smith to replace Smoothy?

Powell admitted Harvey Smith could be a contender to step into the role if they need a new frontline hooker going into 2027, but insisted they would not rush the youngster’s development after a strong start to the year.

“Harvey is an outstanding young player,” Powell said.

“He’s going to be a star of the future, I have no doubt about that. But he’s pretty young so I’d be wary of throwing him there week to week for large chunks of games.

“He’s got an unbelievable amount of experience for a young player and I don’t think it changes too much. He’s been getting game-time and exposure in Super League and he’s handled it well. He’s learning a lot of lessons and he’ll continue to get better.”

Trinity host Catalans on Friday evening, with the likes of Jazz Tevaga, Isaiah Vagana and Seth Nikotemo in contention to return to the team having missed the loss at Leeds a fortnight ago.

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