Wakefield Trinity coach is just glad to get back in action

Trinity return to league competition against Wigan Warriors at Emerald Headingley tomorrow afternoon.

Wakefield will play five games in 21 days during October but Chester admits getting the sport back underway is the most important issue right now.

Super League has been reduced from a 29-game season to 20-game campaign, as loop fixtures were scrapped and Toronto withdrew from the competition prior to last weekend’s resumption.

“I am not too bothered about it,” said Chester.

“I just think the game is more important and we have just got to get out and play. If that means playing three games in eight or nine days, then it is what it is.

“We need rugby league back on TV and I am looking forward to getting back out there.

“We have got a big squad, there are 33 guys who are capable of pulling on a Wakefield Trinity shirt and performing well.”

The meeting with Wigan will be the first time Wakefield will play under the new rules, which were approved last month.

Teams will now get their tackle count reset if there is an infringement at the ruck from the opposing team while scrums have also been scrapped for the remainder of the year.

“It is important that you get an equal share of possession,” added Chester when considering what impact the amendments will have.

“I am really excited about the rule changes and I think we have got some players who will be able to take advantage. I am just pleased we are getting back out there now.”

Chester wants his players to take the game to Wigan. The Warriors sat top of the table before the coronavirus outbreak and the Trinity head coach has emphasised the importance of matching the intensity of Adrian Lam’s side.

He added: “Every Wigan side you come up against is always going to be physical.

“When we have done well against Wigan in the past, we have matched them physically, been aggressive and tried to take the game to them.

“When we have been disappointing is when we have started slowly and let them get a little bit of momentum.

“Like with any team, once they get momentum it is hard to claw that back. They are a big side but we have got to match their intensity in those first 15 minutes. We do that by defending tough and being good and disciplined with the ball.”

Over 96 per cent of season-ticket holders at Wakefield have said they will not seek a refund for matches staged behind closed doors.

Trinity played just two home games in Super League before the country was put on lockdown. It is unclear how many games fans will be able to attend before the end of the campaign but chief executive Michael Carter revealed it is a gesture which could be worth in excess of £100,000 to the club.

Editor’s note: first and foremost - and rarely have I written down these words with more sincerity - I hope this finds you well.

Almost certainly you are here because you value the quality and the integrity of the journalism produced by The Yorkshire Post’s journalists - almost all of which live alongside you in Yorkshire, spending the wages they earn with Yorkshire businesses - who last year took this title to the industry watchdog’s Most Trusted Newspaper in Britain accolade.

And that is why I must make an urgent request of you: as advertising revenue declines, your support becomes evermore crucial to the maintenance of the journalistic standards expected of The Yorkshire Post. If you can, safely, please buy a paper or take up a subscription. We want to continue to make you proud of Yorkshire’s National Newspaper but we are going to need your help.

Postal subscription copies can be ordered by calling 0330 4030066 or by emailing [email protected]. Vouchers, to be exchanged at retail sales outlets - our newsagents need you, too - can be subscribed to by contacting subscriptions on 0330 1235950 or by visiting www.localsubsplus.co.uk where you should select The Yorkshire Post from the list of titles available.

If you want to help right now, download our tablet app from the App / Play Stores. Every contribution you make helps to provide this county with the best regional journalism in the country.

Sincerely. Thank you.

James Mitchinson

Editor