Wakefield dealt Caius Faatili blow but key man to return for Wigan clash

Wakefield Trinity will be without Caius Faatili for this weekend’s Challenge Cup quarter-final with Wigan Warriors: but Jazz Tevaga is set to come back into contention.

Faatili missed last weekend’s victory at local rivals Castleford Tigers with a precautionary withdrawal after suffering an injury during the week. Powell had hinted in the aftermath of that win that Faatili should be available for the mouthwatering showdown against Matt Peet’s Warriors.

That will now not be the case though, with Faatili stood down and left out of Trinity’s 21-man squad for the game on Sunday afternoon. However, Powell has calmed any talk of a longer-term absence for the forward.

He said: “He’s taken a little bit longer than we thought but he’ll be back next week. I just felt that while we’ve got people fit, when they’re fit, they’re fit. Tray (Lolesio) did a good job last week and if anyone isn’t 100 per cent fit then I tend to go with the guys who are flying.”

There is good news elsewhere though – with key forward Tevaga, who also missed the Castleford game, cleared to return after being included in the 21-man squad.

Powell said: “He’s trained pretty well and he’ll be back in there with a chance of playing this week. He’s been out there and looked pretty sharp and he’s in there.”

Powell also insisted he was expecting a response from Wigan after the manner of their late collapse against St Helens last weekend.

“For most of that game they had control,” he said.

“It was the last 10 minutes – and you won’t see a finish like that again for a very long time. There’s only one thing that comes out of Wigan when something like that happens and that’s intensity. We’re ready for it. We have to be able to match that and get through some tough periods in a game which always come when you play against Wigan.”