Where are they now? Daryl Powell’s first Wakefield Trinity side in 2024

It’s been some journey for Wakefield since Daryl Powell’s arrival, but just how did Trinity look in his first game?

Well, Powell’s first competitive game in charge came on February 4, 2024 away at York in the first of three group games in the 1895 Cup.

Trinity went on to lift the cup that year alongside winning both the Championship League Leaders’ Shield, and it all started with a comprehensive 40-4 victory over the Knights.

But just where are the 17 that took to the field for Wakefield that day now? Let’s find out…

Max Jowitt

Jowitt kicked six of seven conversion attempts at the LNER Community Stadium to rack up the first 12 points he scored in a record-breaking individual season. He, of course, remains with Trinity today and is a key part of their side in Super League.

Kicked 6 out of 7 conversions

Jermaine McGillvary

McGillvary rounded his career off by winning promotion with Wakefield in 2024, and marked his debut here with a try ten minutes in. Hanging up his boots at the end of the campaign, he’s now enjoying family life in retirement, with his two sons both involved in high-profile football academies.

Iain Thornley

2024 was Thornley’s sole season at Belle Vue. As Wakefield returned to Super League, he penned a deal with then-newly-promoted Oldham to remain in the Championship, and is still a Roughyeds player today.

Oli Pratt

This was Pratt’s breakout year, and he now forms a key part of Powell’s squad in Super League having enjoyed a stellar top-flight campaign in 2025 on an individual basis as well as collective. Still only 21, Trinity have already tied him down until the end of 2028.

Lachlan Walmsley

The Flying Scotsman born in New South Wales, Walmsley scored tries for fun at Championship level: and in a Trinity shirt, it began with a hat-trick here. Wrapping up his treble on the day in the last minute, the Australia-born winger stuck at Belle Vue in Super League and did enough to earn himself a one-year extension for 2026.

Luke Gale

Gale scored Wakefield’s first try of the season and first try of the Powell era four minutes into this cup clash. The veteran playmaker called time on his career at the end of the campaign and joined the backroom team at Belle Vue. This off-season, he has made the switch across Yorkshire to join Super League champions Hull KR as an assistant, working under Willie Peters.

Mason Lino

Former Samoa international Lino has been with Trinity since 2021, and is currently contracted until the end of the 2026 campaign. He was an ever-present in Powell’s Super League side last season, and has now played 120 games for the club across all competitions.

Josh Bowden

Beverley-born Bowden spent three seasons with Wakefield and was among the handful that departed at the end of this 2024 campaign. He remained in the Championship for 2025 as he joined Doncaster, but was released at the end of last season and has not found a new club yet, as far as we’re aware.

Liam Hood

Veteran hooker Hood enjoyed a four-season stint at Belle Vue before departing at the end of the 2025 campaign having made 98 appearances across all competitions for Wakefield. Ahead of 2026, he has signed for rivals and fellow Super League side Castleford Tigers.

Renouf Atoni

Atoni also departed Trinity at the end of 2025 and followed him to Castleford. The New Zealand-born forward spent three seasons at Belle Vue and clocked up 67 appearances across all competitions.

Matty Ashurst

Veteran back-rower Ashurst brought the curtain down on a ten-season stint with Belle Vue, departing at the end of the 2024 campaign and linking up with Oldham. A certified Trinity icon, he remains with the Roughyeds in the Championship today and is currently preparing to enter the 18th season of his career.

Josh Griffin

Griffin was another of Wakefield’s try-scorers in this win at York, the club he has joined ahead of 2026 following his departure from Belle Vue. Having come through Trinity’s youth system and played the first senior game of his career for them back in 2008, his second stint at the club lasted two-and-a-half years.

Jay Pitts

Pitts’ story is a similar one to Griffin’s having come through Wakefield’s youth system before departing and then returning years later. He though remains a Trinity player today having returned to Belle Vue in 2020, and now has over 400 career appearances on his CV.

Caleb Hamlin-Uele (Interchange)

Hamlin-Uele arrived at Wakefield ahead of the 2024 campaign, so this 1895 Cup clash brought his debut and he marked it with a try early on in the second half. The prop has played 44 games across all competitions for Trinity to date, and has already been tied down long-term until the end of 2030.

Mathieu Cozza (Interchange)

France international Cozza also joined Trinity ahead of 2024, and went on to play 32 games across all competitions in their colours before being released at the end of last season. He has since joined fellow Super League side Huddersfield Giants.

Toby Boothroyd (Interchange)

Australian forward Boothroyd played 11 times across all competitions in 2024 for Wakefield and then remained in the Championship for 2025 as he joined Featherstone. Amid Rovers’ financial woes though, he departed midway through the year and is now back Down Under.

Tommy Doyle (Interchange)

Rounding off the 17, Doyle is another who joined Wakefield ahead of the 2024 campaign. Within a few months, he had earned a contract extension until the end of 2026, so remains with Trinity today, though struggled for game time in Super League last season.

Head coach: Daryl Powell

Alongside owner Matt Ellis, boss Powell has helped to transform Wakefield: not just as a team, but as a club. Having led his side back into Super League, they then finished sixth and featured in last year’s play-offs. No doubt the ambition this year will be an improvement on that.

York’s line-up from 1895 Cup defeat to Wakefield in February 2024

Starting 17: Joe Brown, Myles Harrison, Jesse Dee, Jimmy Keinhorst, AJ Towse, Nikau Williams, Lam Harris, Ukuma Ta’ai, Will Jubb, Conor Fitzsimmons, Oli Field, Connor Bailey, Jordan Thompson

Bench: Jack Teanby, Brenden Santi, Taylor Pemberton, Harvey Reynolds

Head coach: Andrew Henderson

Try: Will Jubb