James Batchelor confident Wakefield Trinity can avoid relegation scrap

WAKEFIELD TRINITY back-row James Batchelor is adamant his struggling side will not get dragged into Super League’s relegation battle.
James Batchelor, of Wakefield Trinity.James Batchelor, of Wakefield Trinity.
James Batchelor, of Wakefield Trinity.

They head to Wigan Warriors on Thursday in miserable form having lost seven of their last eight outings.

It was not long ago that Chris Chester’s team were in third looking like genuine top-five play-off contenders – but now they are just as close to bottom.

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Only four points separates them from London Broncos in last place and Wigan in fifth, highlighting the importance of the West Yorkshire club’s imminent trip to DW Stadium.

Friday’s 36-16 home loss to Castleford Tigers was hard to take given how much pressure Wakefield had on their derby rivals’ line.

But Batchelor – who has retained his place in the England Knights squad announced yesterday – insisted: “We can turn it around.

“We are in a bit of a hole: we have to admit that.

“But the only people who can get us out of it are those of us in the changing rooms, being confident in ourselves to be able to do that.

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“We will recover and we will get ready to go again this week.

“We had a good win against Wigan earlier in the season; we toughed it out.

“We know it is going to be really tough again because they are playing even better now.

“But every game between now and the end of the season is going to be tough.

“We just need to find a way to get out of this.”

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Wakefield did beat Wigan 30-20 in April when the defending champions were in their own mess but they have turned that around since before Friday’s heavy loss at leaders St Helens.

Batchelor returned against Castleford after a month out with a hamstring issue.

He now hopes to push on and boost a Trinity resurgence as well as forcing his way into the Knights side that faces Jamaica at Emerald Headingley on October 20.

The 21-year-old said: “It was good to be back out there but it’s frustrating.

“It wasn’t the way I wanted to come back.

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“After the game we said we didn’t take our chances and they took theirs.

“That was the difference on the scoreboard.”

Meanwhile, Hull KR fear hooker Matt Parcell could miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury sustained in Friday’s game at his parent club Leeds Rhinos.

He visits a specialist today to see if surgery is required.