Every Wakefield Trinity player’s contract situation with THIRTEEN stars’ deals expiring in 2025

Ben Olawumi 07 Nov 2024 6:00 AM

Renouf Atoni, Caleb Uele, Mason Lino, Isaiah Vagana — From left to right: Renouf Atoni, Caleb Uele, Mason Lino and Isaiah Vagana celebrate Wakefield Trinity's 2024 Championship Grand Final triumph

The transfer market will kick into life for Super League clubs much earlier than usual in the 2025 season: before a ball has even been kicked, in fact.

That’s because a radical overhaul of the rules surrounding when clubs can engage with players in the last year of their contracts comes into effect next month. From December 1, anyone whose contract expires at the end of the 2025 campaign is free to negotiate with other clubs for 2026.

And at Wakefield Trinity, ahead of their return to Super League in 2025, that makes their contractual situation across the board fairly intriguing: with a string of high-profile players about to enter the last year of their existing deals.

Trinity have gone about their business on and off the field very astutely since their relegation at the end of 2023, but with the deadline moved forward to the beginning of next months, it makes things very interesting.

Every Wakefield Trinity player’s contract situation with EIGHT stars’ deals expiring in 2025

Before the 2025 season comes around, Wakefield still have a bit of work to do in terms of the players who aren’t currently officially contracted to the club.

Youngsters Will Brough and Joe Law saw their deals expire at the end of the promotion-winning 2024 season, with the club yet to officially confirm whether they’ll be staying at the time of writing.

Then we get to the end of 2025, and there are a whopping 13 stars off-contract who have 12 months left with Daryl Powell’s as things stand, including two new arrivals.

Having joined from London Broncos, Josh Rourke’s deal has a one-year extension option. The same can’t be said for Matty Russell though, who has made the move to Belle Vue from Warrington Wolves on a one-year deal outright.

Renouf Atoni, Luke Bain, Josh Griffin, Liam Hood and Lachlan Walmsley are among the other Trinity players off-contract at the end of 2025.

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The list of players off-contract at the end of 2026 is shorter, including the likes of new recruit Cam Scott and stalwart Mason Lino.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of players tied down until the end of the 2027 campaign, and a handful who will be at Belle Vue for at least the next four years with contracts which run until the end of 2028.

Isaiah Vagana signed a three-year extension – until 2027 – earlier this week while Tom Johnstone, Mike McMeeken and Olly Russell have all signed four-year deals which start in 2025.

Here is the full breakdown of how Wakefield’s squad situation looks in terms of contracts…

*Correct at the time of writing on November 6, 2024

Off-contract in 2024 (unresolved)

Will Brough, Joe Law

Off-contract in 2025

Renouf Atoni, Luke Bain, Noah Booth, Mathieu Cozza, Jack Croft, Josh Griffin, Liam Hood, Max Jowitt, Jay Pitts, Josh Rourke (one-year extension option), Matty Russell, Isaac Shaw, Lachlan Walmsley