Wakefield prepared for battle to stay in top flight

Wildcats kick-off their campaign in the Qualifiers – which will decide the final four places in the top-flight next season – with a trip to Salford Red Devils tomorrow.

It will be Smith’s eighth game in charge and Wakefield have won just once under his coaching so far, but the experienced Aussie has made regular changes to give his entire squad an opportunity.

Points from the regular season do not carry over, so Wakefield will be starting on a level footing with their rivals and Smith said: “We’ve done a lot of work in the last six or eight weeks in preparation for this unique competition.

“It has a sudden-death feel to it and we want to get off to a great start this weekend. It’s not going to be easy because our opponents are going to be pretty much the same.

“But I was encouraged by our last match, at Huddersfield. Reviewing it, I was probably even more impressed with some of the stuff our guys did.

“We still had some moments when we were a bit below par and one of the factors that hurt us was our inability to control Danny Brough and his kicking.

“We are going to have to deal with some of the same stuff this week, with both (Michael) Dobson and Rangi Chase and their kicking games.

“That will be a vital factor, I think, in this game.”

Smith added: “It really is unique, I don’t think this system of play-offs has been used before and it will be interesting to see just how everybody approaches it.

“But I certainly feel we are on an equal basis to everybody else, whether they are seemingly above or below us.

“We are all fresh and ready to go and Wakefield in particular, with a bit of a new look with some new players in our squad at the back end of this period of preparation for us, we feel like we are set to start again.”

Smith has made 11 signings – either on loan or longer-term deals – since being appointed coach at the end of May.