Catalans Dragons v Wakefield Trinity: Good start key in France, says Danny Kirmond

WAKEFIELD TRINITY are used to catching teams unawares '“ now the boot is on the other foot.
Danny KirmondDanny Kirmond
Danny Kirmond

After finishing fifth in Betfred Super League last year and winning their opening two games this time, Trinity – so long the competition’s whipping boys – are going into games as favourites.

That will be the case this afternoon, away to bottom club Catalans Dragons, but both captain Danny Kirmond and coach Chris Chester have warned against complacency. Though the French side have lost all three games so far this season, including a 23-4 defeat at promoted Hull KR last weekend, Kirmond feels they are better than recent results suggest.

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“They have some world class players and we have a lot of respect for them,” Kirmond stressed. “You write them off at your own peril. They have not had a great start to the season, I think they probably had a bit of a disrupted pre-season because of players in the World Cup, but we have been in the same situation and we know if we under-estimate them then we will be beaten.”

Kirmond knows the longer Catalans stay in the game, the more they will grow in confidence.

“It’s important we get off to a good start,” he added. “If we allow them to get into their stride then they are a dangerous side.

“They are an aggressive side with a big pack and speed on the edge.

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“They look to offload the ball and players like David Mead and Michael McIlorum will take advantage of that, but it is important to get a win because it will set us up for a tough run of games going into Easter.”

Chester also regards Catalans as a major threat to Trinity’s unbeaten start.

“On paper they have a very good squad, but there’s something not quite gelling,” he observed. “We’re expecting close to their best team and a win is just around the corner for them. We know that full well; we lost our first two last year and then went on a nice little run. We have to make sure we don’t worry too much about Catalans and concentrate more on what we do.”