Wakefield Trinity's out-of-contract players fighting for their futures as George King's departure is confirmed

Wakefield recently tied down winger Lee Kershaw on a renewed deal but still have five players whose futures are not yet decided.

Danny Kirmond, Craig Kopczak, Titus Gwaze, Ryan Atkins and Ben Jones-Bishop will all see their current deals expire at the end of the season.

However, there is still the possibility that some of those players could be offered new terms for 2021 and beyond.

Danny Brough will leave Wakefield at the end of the season to join Bradford Bulls while Chester also confirmed speculation linking George King with a move to Hull Kingston Rovers at the end of the campaign.

“It is not a closed book, it is not a closed chapter,” insisted Chester on the players who are without a deal for next year.

“We have had four months off, doing nothing.

“It is up to those guys who are off-contract to stand-up and give it a real good crack.

“There is no player, apart from George King who is going to be leaving us to go to Hull KR, every other player is fighting for a spot to play for the rest of the year and fighting for a contract.”

Chester revealed that Wakefield have been offered players from Toronto Wolfpack, who withdrew from this year’s Super League due to financial and logistic issues.

Trinity have recently signed Liam Kay and Tony Gigot but no more players are likely to arrive at Belle Vue before the end of the campaign.

Both Kay and Gigot were acquired on a “cost-neutral” basis and Chester doesn’t feel it would be right to make big-name signings while players and staff have had to take wage reductions.

He added: “We are having a lot of players thrown at us from Toronto because we are probably one of the only clubs who have some salary cap space left.

“That is the reason these players are being thrown to us.

“There will be nobody else coming in.

“It didn’t cost the club a penny for Liam Kay and it has not cost us any money for Tony Gigot.

“It has been cost neutral. We have also got to bear in mind that the players and staff have agreed wage cuts.

“You don’t want to upset the apple cart and bring in big players when players and staff have had pay cuts.

“We are all in this together so I don’t think there will be anymore players in between now and the end of the season.”