Wakefield Trinity not ‘getting ahead of themselves’ as Daryl Powell issues ‘whole lot better’ warning

Wakefield Trinity are a side on the up, but head coach Daryl Powell is refusing to get carried away just yet. 

The Trin’s defeat to St Helens this weekend was just their second in their past eight matches, a run of form that has taken them firmly into the play-off spots heading into round 10.

This run of form could be classed as somewhat unprecedented, given their early-season slump. Wakefield fell to a shock 18-16 defeat to newly-promoted Toulouse Olympique in the opening round of the season, and were sat on a record of just one win from their first three games following another loss to Warrington Wolves, but things quickly turned around.

‘We’ve just been more consistent’

Powell’s side went unbeaten in March, recording wins over Hull FC, Leigh Leopards and York Knights in Super League while also dumping Leeds out of the Challenge Cup in the middle of that. Four wins soon turned to five in a row, too, with a resounding 34-0 victory over Castleford Tigers over the Easter weekend.

Recent defeats to Wigan Warriors and St Helens have dampened things slightly, but the Trin are certainly positioning themselves for a possible title charge.

“We’ve just been more consistent,” the head coach said. “We’re defending really well, working hard for each other, Truey’s (Jake Trueman) been playing exceptionally well and our pack’s been great.

“Our pack has really come together over the last month or so, and that’s been a big one. Whoever we’ve played against, our pack has been really big and physical. I love what they’ve been doing; they’re the engine room to everything we’ve been doing.”

“It’s going and playing against the better teams and being capable of winning any game we go into,” he continued. “I think we know that, and other teams are respecting that if they play against us, we’re going to be difficult to beat.

“We’re a developing team, you have to remember last year was our first year back in Super League and we’re very young. For us, it’s understanding how good we can be, and we should be respected for what we’re doing at the moment.”

A win this weekend against Leeds would go a long way to strengthening their title hopes, too, with Wakefield able to go top of the table should other results go their way.

Not getting too carried away

Their recent run of results has certainly thrown them into the title discussion, but it is still early days in the 2026 season, and there is always room for improvement.

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Three of their four defeats this season have come against top-six opposition, with Warrington Wolves, St Helens and Wigan Warriors getting the better of them this season in either Super League or the Challenge Cup, and they have averaged fewer points per game than any of their play-off rivals.

“I think we can get a whole lot better,” said Powell. “I’m going into games against St Helens and Wigan expecting us to win the game, and that’s what we should be feeling.

“Initially, (that feeling) is driven by the coaching staff; young players are still trying to find out just who they are at times, and we’re trying to stimulate and grow that. But players are grabbing hold of it.

“It’s a tough game, rugby league. When you’re out there, it’s an uncompromising environment and you’ve got to get a lot right; and we’re growing that way.

“We’re growing in terms of young players getting consistently better and the whole team realising how good we can be.

“We have a really grounded group,” Powell said. “I don’t think anyone is above their station at all. We have a good group, we’re pretty young but our senior players are all grounded blokes and good leaders. We’re in a good place there.

“Nobody is going to get ahead of themselves. We’re a humble and honest playing group, so we’re not going to get too carried away. It’s early in the season, and we’ve got to keep getting better.”

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