'There's a lot going on': Wakefield Trinity coach Mark Applegarth teases recruitment announcements

Six weeks on from his appointment as the new head coach of Wakefield Trinity, Mark Applegarth is still making his way through his in-tray.

Applegarth has been tasked with rebuilding the squad after stepping up from his role as an assistant.

Trinity lost experienced trio Jacob Miller, David Fifita and Tinirau Arona at the end of the season, while Bill Tupou – another influential figure – was forced to retire midway through the year.

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Tom Johnstone, James Batchelor and Yusuf Aydin have also moved on, leaving Applegarth with some sizeable gaps to fill in his squad despite the addition of several players in recent months.

Rob Butler, Josh Bowden and Jorge Taufua all linked up with Wakefield during the season, while half-back Morgan Smith joined from Featherstone Rovers earlier this month.

After making Smith his first signing, Applegarth is ready to press the button on other deals.

"There's a lot going on," he told The Yorkshire Post. "We're speaking to quite a few players and hopefully there will be a few announcements coming out over the next week.

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"When I first got the job I sat down with the board and we identified some targets, areas we needed to strengthen and they've been great working with me trying to get those over the line.

Mark Applegarth is Super League's youngest head coach. (Picture: Dean Williams)Mark Applegarth is Super League's youngest head coach. (Picture: Dean Williams)
Mark Applegarth is Super League's youngest head coach. (Picture: Dean Williams)

"Over the next two or three weeks, we'll be finalising our recruitment."

Applegarth has three overseas quota spots at his disposal and looks set to use one on former New Zealand international Kevin Proctor.

The 33-year-old, who won an NRL Grand Final with Melbourne Storm and represented the Kiwis on 22 occasions, has been without a club since his acrimonious departure from Gold Coast Titans in July.

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Proctor was sacked after filming himself vaping in the toilets during a game and posting it on social media. The fallout from the incident reportedly pushed him to the brink of retirement but the back-rower is now closing in on a move to Super League.

Kevin Proctor could be on his way to Super League. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)Kevin Proctor could be on his way to Super League. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
Kevin Proctor could be on his way to Super League. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

"We're speaking to a number of people in England and overseas,” said Applegarth.

“It's always nice to have those quota spots. I'll go for the player and the person I think is the right fit, whether that's from overseas or England.

"Kevin has played 300 NRL games and 20-odd for New Zealand so he's done it all over there. He's definitely a player I admire.

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"I know he's made headlines for different reasons over the last couple of years. It'd be great to be perfect but nobody is, including myself.

Kyle Evans runs away to score against Tonga. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)Kyle Evans runs away to score against Tonga. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Kyle Evans runs away to score against Tonga. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

"He's a player we've spoken to and hopefully we can get something sorted. Having spoken to him a few times, he's definitely the sort of person that you'd want in your team."

Applegarth is working to a budget, which means he must prioritise areas of the squad where Wakefield are light. That is bad news for winger Kyle Evans, who starred for Wales against Tonga after ending the season at Belle Vue.

"Kyle is a great prospect after moving over from rugby union," said Applegarth.

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"He had an excellent game the other night but the issue for us is we've already got four contracted wingers that we're really happy with. We've got Lewis Murphy, Lee Kershaw, Jorge Taufua and Tom Lineham.

"When you're breaking it down and looking at your squad balance and what you're spending cap-wise, can you afford five wingers in your squad?

"He won't be coming back at this moment in time."

Jacob Miller has left a big hole in the Wakefield Trinity side. (Picture: Steve Riding)Jacob Miller has left a big hole in the Wakefield Trinity side. (Picture: Steve Riding)
Jacob Miller has left a big hole in the Wakefield Trinity side. (Picture: Steve Riding)

The same rationale is being applied to the half-back situation.

"I'd be more than comfortable playing a game tomorrow with Mason Lino, Lee Gaskell and Morgan fighting it out for those two shirts," added Applegarth.

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"It goes back to what I said about squad balance. In terms of bang for your buck, we're a club that have to spend well on our cap.

"It's important we do a lot of due diligence and put a lot of thought into who we recruit and why.

"Would I have another half if money was no object? I'd take five for each position and tell them to fight it out for 13 spots.

"Obviously we don't have that luxury. At the moment, we think we're pretty well stocked in that position."

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As well as recruiting enough quality to ensure Wakefield avoid another relegation scrap in 2023, Applegarth is on the lookout for leaders.

He believes the club's recruitment will tick both boxes.

"Some great people have left and at the top of that would probably be our captain from last year, Jacob Miller," said Applegarth.

"People like that do need replacing but it might not be like for like in terms of positions.

"The influence they have on the group behind the scenes probably doesn't come across when you're just watching them on the field.

"We do need to bring some strong characters in. We are speaking to quite a few players that will definitely add value in that sense."

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