Wakefield Trinity chairman addresses losing start to 2023 Super League season

Wakefield Trinity chairman John Minards has addressed his side’s losing start to the 2023 season, urging fans to stay patient. 

Mark Applegarth’s squad have lost all four of their fixtures so far, and have failed to score a point in the last three games.

That includes a 60-0 hammering to Wigan in Round Two at the DW Stadium.

Wakefield Trinity have conceded 132 points altogether, losing to Catalans, Wigan, Huddersfield and Leeds respectively.

According to Rugby League Records, Wakefield became the first top flight team in the summer era to be nilled in three consecutive matches.

Yesterday @WTrinityRL made some unwanted history by becoming the first team in the summer era to be nilled in three consecutive matches. No team has been nilled in four games in a row since before WW2…

— Rugby League Records (@RL_RKC) March 11, 2023

Minards has recognised his side’s slow start to the season, but has highlighted the fact that their first four games have been against 2022 play-off outfits.

Speaking to Trinity TV, Minards has urged fans to remain balanced and insists that their season will not be defined by their first four fixtures.

He also recognises the fact that the squad have already been hit with major injuries.

Star winger Lewis Murphy has been ruled out of the season with an ACL injury. Lee Gaskell and Max Jowitt are also sidelined with respective injuries, while Applegarth has brought in Huddersfield forward Sam Hewitt on a short-term loan deal.

Wakefield Trinity chairman on disappointing start to season

“As ever, it’s never dull at Belle Vue,” Minards said on Trinity TV. “There’s always something going on, there’s always things. There’s a lot of moving parts.

“But on the start to the season on the field, I’m as disappointed as anybody. I’m disappointed to have four games, no points and no actual points in the last three games. None of us want that.

“I know there’s a lot of emotion out there and a lot of people throwing criticism about. 

“But equally, I do sense that a lot of people have a bit of balance on this as well and I think that’s what we all have to have. We have to have a bit of calmness and a bit of balance and confidence. 

“We are only four games in. We’ve played four of the top teams from last year. Everyone we’ve played was in the top half, and Grand Finalists, so there’s a bit of context there.

“Our season will not be defined by our first four games”

“Our season will not be defined by our first four games, there’s plenty of games to go.

“We said at the start of the season, we know that we’ve only got so much to spend on the squad. That’s always what has been the philosophy here for the last 10 years.

“We spend what we spend and we do believe given a decent run of injuries, that this squad is very competitive.

“But we haven’t had that decent run of injuries I think it would be fair to say during the course of the season, just in these four games.

“We’ve been missing Max, Lewis, Reece (Lyne), we’ve been missing Kelepi (Tanginoa) throughout. Jordy (Crowther) has had to miss some games, Hoody (Liam Good) has missed some games. Harry (Bowes) has been out as well and we’re missing another two backs for the next game. And Josh Bowden who we’ve not seen since pre-season.

“These players will come back, but these are big players for us.

“There is something about confidence close to the line it seems to me just as a spectator.

“But I do know one thing, that the coaching staff are on this, the players are on it and there’s good spirit in the dressing rooms still.

“They’re working really hard and we move on to next week as we always do.”

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