'Blessing in disguise': Mark Applegarth reflects on Wakefield Trinity sacking ahead of return with York Knights

Applegarth knew the club like the back of his hand but nothing could have prepared him for the challenges he faced in his first year as a head coach.

Operating on a modest budget, Wakefield pushed their luck one too many times and eventually ran out of rope after failing to arm Applegarth with the tools to keep the club in Super League.

Between a catalogue of injuries and other unforeseen issues such as the unfit pitch saga, it was a thankless task for any head coach let alone a rookie.

It was impossible not to feel sympathy for Applegarth when having spent the year trying to explain a failure not of his own making, he was given his marching orders by new owner Matt Ellis, who was understandably keen to bring in his own man in Daryl Powell.

Applegarth is full of optimism as he prepares for his first return to Belle Vue with play-off hopefuls York Knights – which remarkably falls on the anniversary of Trinity's relegation – but he did not know what the future held at the time of his sacking.

"I'm a pretty optimistic guy," he said. "I'd be lying to you if I said it didn't sting when it first happened.

"It was a tough six months, especially when you sign up thinking you're going to get a bit longer to follow a job through, but it's all worked out in the end.

"There were some pretty difficult days after it, you feel a bit worthless, but it's about how you respond to that.

"It was a blessing in disguise. I got to spend a good six months with my daughter and then it just felt right to come to York."

A former Wakefield player, Applegarth earned his first Super League opportunity after working his way through the coaching ranks at Belle Vue.

Applegarth had to wait 15 games for his first win and Trinity were duly relegated in the penultimate round despite a mid-season form spike.

"There were some good times and some pretty tough times as well but I wouldn't swap any of it," he stressed.

"You can't change the past – you can either dwell on it or move on.

"When I was at Wakefield if I ever felt I was the problem I'd have walked. I've never been one to linger around if I don't feel I can add value.

"I knew I could deal with a bit of adversity but that was a bit more than I was used to.

"I learnt to keep a level head under some tricky circumstances."

Applegarth's conduct in adversity did not go unnoticed by York who moved Andrew Henderson upstairs to make room for the former Wakefield boss following a disappointing start to the Championship season.

It has proved to be an inspired change, with Applegarth guiding the Knights to 10 wins in his 13 games in charge to leave the club's play-off fate in their own hands with three rounds to go.

"You've got to have that confidence in yourself but it was more waiting for the right opportunity," said Applegarth.

"I'd turned down a couple of opportunities because they didn't feel right. This happened within less than 48 hours and came as a bit of a whirlwind. I got a phone call and 24 hours later it was signed and sealed.

"Everything is here for York to flourish. We've got a good playing group, excellent facilities and training base.

"We've got to carry on building that infrastructure behind the scenes and when the time is right I think the IMG scoring is in the right direction.

"Personally I want to be coaching in Super League, hopefully with York, but I'm not foolish enough to look that far into the future because in the blink of an eye things can change."

Promotion is no longer the prize in the play-offs following the switch to a grading system but the Grand Final is the game every Championship club wants to win.

Favourites Wakefield have been building towards it all season, claiming the League Leaders' Shield along the way with a record of 22 wins and one defeat.

Trinity are the benchmark team in the second tier, a fact not lost on their former head coach who will return to find a club transformed under Ellis.

"Our aim is to try to win the Championship play-offs and to do that we've got to actually get in them," said Applegarth. "Any team in that top seven or eight are probably still saying the same thing.

"This run will be pointless unless we get to the play-offs if we're being blunt about it.

"We're just doing what we've done which is go a week at a time. Our full focus is on Wakefield.

"We're under no illusions that we're in for a difficult game but it's one we're looking forward to. Wakefield have had a fantastic season so it's a good test of where we're at as a team."

Elsewhere in the Championship this weekend, Featherstone Rovers host Sheffield Eagles in a crucial clash in the top-six race.

Third-placed Bradford Bulls take on Batley Bulldogs and Doncaster entertain Widnes Vikings, another team battling for the play-offs.