Daryl Powell’s telling response on Davy Litten link as Wakefield set for injury boost

Wakefield Trinity coach Daryl Powell has refused to confirm or deny whether the club have made a bid for Hull FC centre Davy Litten.

Love Rugby League revealed this week that the Black and Whites had accepted a significant six-figure transfer bid for Litten, which could see him make the move to the DIY Kitchens Stadium in 2027 as a direct replacement for Bradford-bound Cam Scott.

Powell was inevitably asked about those links on Thursday morning as he conducted his pre-match media duties – but played them with a straight bat.

Powell short on Litten links

The Wakefield coach was asked whether he was a player Trinity had made a bid for, and simply said: “I’ve no comment to make on that. I’m just focusing on the game that’s in front of us.”

Powell was then pushed again on whether Litten was a player he and Wakefield admired. He simply responded: “Like I say, I’ve got no comment to make on that.”

How Powell’s comments are interpreted will likely split opinion – but it is telling that the Trinity boss did not go out of his way to deny reports Litten may be bound for West Yorkshire in 2027.

It is now up to Wakefield to hold talks with the player himself and discuss personal terms, after Hull gave the green light for a move to take place if all parties are happy.

Wakefield set for injury boost

Powell was speaking on the eve of Trinity’s monumental showdown with Leeds Rhinos, which pits Super League’s top two against one another in a mouthwatering clash.

And Wakefield will get two key players back in contention too, it seems.

Mike McMeeken has ticked all the boxes required of him after missing last week’s win in Catalans with a minor back issue, while Lachlan Walmsley is back in contention.

Powell said: “We’ve just trained and if Mike comes through okay, he should be available. Lachlan is alright. He’s had a week off so I’ve got a call to make on the wing. There’s a few decisions to make but we’ve come out of that last game without anything major so there are selection calls for me and the coaches to make.”

Powell admitted it will be a tough decision to decide whether or not Walmsley gets the nod for an instant return on Trinity’s right wing or whether he sticks with Jayden Myers, who impressed there last week.

He said: “He’s played well, Jayden. He played well against Leeds the last time he played on the left. We had a bit of a shuffle around in that game with Cam (Scott) getting knocked out early on, but Jayden has played well on the whole. It’s not a dilemma as such, after discussions with everyone in the team, we’re pretty open about everything.

“We’re handling all sorts of different scenarios right now, we’re playing a high-quality team this week but the team is handling adversity when it comes. This will prove how good we are over the next six weeks, and it’s up to us to show it.”