Kear names Newton in Boxing Day squad

Wakefield will hand a debut to Terry Newton in their Boxing Day friendly against Leeds.

Newton, 31, joined the club from Bradford in the close season and has previously played for Wigan and the Rhinos, for whom he made 39 appearances..

He is joined in the starting line-up by Ben Jeffries, who makes his second debut for the club following his return to Belle Vue, also from Bradford.

The pair will link up with star scrum-half Danny Brough as the Wildcats look to make it three consecutive festive victories over their Yorkshire neighbours.

Kear said: “We need to give these three players some time to blend together before the start of Super League XV and going out to face the Rhinos is going to provide them with a good test from the start.”

The Challenge game will also give Australian winger Damien Blanch his first competitive outing since undergoing knee reconstruction surgery. He has not played since damaging ligaments in the league game against Wigan Warriors on April 26 – exactly eight months earlier.

Added Kear: “Damien’s worked really hard through his rehabilitation and in pre-season training. He’s raring to go again and it’ll be good to see him back in the red white and blue.”

Another new Trinity signing who will have some game time at Headingley Carnegie will be prop forward Paul King. He joined the Wildcats from Hull FC earlier this month.

Explained Kear: “Paul will definitely take part in the game at some stage in the match.”

Kear has also give places to some of the young Wakefield players who have made their mark in pre-season training and helped the club’s Academy side win both their League Leadership Trophy and the Grand Final against Wigan in 2009.

Kear said: “This will be the ideal opportunity for some of these young players to get a taste of what Super League rugby is like as well as stake a claim for places in the side as the season progresses.

“Brian McClennan, the Leeds Rhinos Head Coach, has given us the respect of naming a strong team and we’re going to Headingley Carnegie expecting a competitive match.”

Wakefield trinity Wildcats: Aaron Murphy;  Damien Blanch, Sean Gleeson, Luke George, Dale Morton; Ben Jeffries, Danny Brough; Kyle Bibb, Terry Newton, Michael Korkidas, Kevin Henderson, Richard Moore, Dale Ferguson. Substitutes (from): James Davey, Matthew King, Kyle Trout, Russell Spiers, Chris Annakin, Matthew Wildie, Cain Southernwood.