Wakefield Trinity send SOS to Salford Red Devils’ Morgan Escare

The Frenchman played five times for Wakefield in 2019, on loan from Wigan Warriors.

He has been drafted straight into Trinity’s squad for tomorrow’s visit of Toulouse Olympique, who are the only other team in Super League yet to win this season.

Wakefield’s first-choice full-back Max Jowitt is beginning a two-match suspension and Lee Gaskell, who could fill in there, is on the injury list.

Escare, a French international, has joined Trinity on an initial two-week deal and coach Willie Poching believes he is the right man at the right time.

“We found out about Max on Monday afternoon,” said Poching. “We had a look in house at who we’d got and it probably would have meant we were shuffling someone out of position to try and fit that spot.

“We decided to cast the net out and see what was out there.

“I spoke to a couple of coaches to see what they had, but there’s a lot of other teams in the same position as us with injuries and suspensions.

“When I spoke to [Salford coach] Paul Rowley and heard Morgan would be playing reserves at the weekend, he was someone who could fit the bill.

“He plays in a position we are after, has a lot of experience, but also has been here before and knows a bit about the place and a lot of the guys.”

Escare trained with Trinity yesterday and has “fitted in seamlessly”, according to Poching. He revealed: “He actually turned up in his old Wakey kit, that he had the last time.

“That was a good sign from the off.

“We re-kitted him out, got him on the field and brought him up to speed.

“He has had a lot to process, there’s a lot of information for him to digest and we are conscious of not overloading him.

“Like most players, the most learning is done out on the field. It was good to see him out there and he got a lot of help from the people around him.

“Everyone’s excited to see how he goes and how we go on Friday.”

Jowitt was suspended for leading with his knees on Rhinos’ Harry Newman.

Trinity would have faced the possibility of the punishment being increased if they had appealed and Poching said: “It was miniscule, but there was contact with Harry Newman’s head, so we just had to cop it rather than argue it and come away with something more severe.”