The Wakefield boss on Hull FC, early season form, and Trinity’s Harry Grant-like talent.
James Bell of Hull FC
Wakefield Trinity head coach Daryl Powell believes Hull FC still have the makings of a ‘dangerous team’ this year and isn’t reading too much into early-season results.
The Black and Whites are one from four now to start the Super League season, with Wakefield confining them to their third successive defeat on Thursday night.
Edging Hull 14-10, Trinity drew level just before half-time and dominated the second half before landing their winning try through Will Tate. But Powell gave a measured assessment of what he labelled a ‘chaotic and nervy’ game at times, with the head coach believing Hull – who have salary cap space and a quota spot to recruit – will get stronger as the year unfolds.
“You look at Hull and they lost their full-back Will Pryce to an ACL – he’s out for the season and that’s tough to take,” Powell said post-match. “He’s such a good player. They’ve still got Herman (Ese’ese) on the sideline too. He’s an outstanding player.
“I don’t read too much into this early season. I’m so pleased we won but that doesn’t mean Hull will have a bad season. I think they’ve got a pretty high-quality squad; they’re bringing back James Bell and John Asiata, and they’re going to be a dangerous team.”
As for the contest itself, which saw Hull take a 10-4 lead before being pegged back after half-time, Powell continued: “It was a nervous game from both teams. It felt like a really important game, strangely at this part of the season. It’s only the fourth round but it was a nervous game that could have gone either way.
“I thought we dominated the second half; the first half was just chaotic, but the game is like that at the minute. It’s about trying to hold your nerve through the way the game is now. The game has changed.
“I don’t think we did that well in the first half but we got those points at the end, which balanced the game out. Then we dominated the second half, territory-wise – I don’t think we nailed our attacking game but defensively it was a big improvement from us.
“We were tough and durable. It was a big win for us; it’s crazy to say this early on, but we did look nervous. It was a tough game, not a great game to watch but when you reflect on it, there are a lot of qualities you want to see in a rugby league team.”
Powell also praised young hooker Harvey Smith, even comparing him to NRL giant Harry Grant.
“He’s a brave boy,” Powell said. “He’s grown immeasurably over the last couple of years. From when I first came to the club, playing in the Champ, and now he plays every week and does a great job. We know he’s got an engine but he’s a brave young player and he’s going to get better and better. He was outstanding.
“It’s speed, isn’t it? He’s got a lot of qualities, and he’s a really mature young fella. He’s fast and when you’ve got that – you look at Harry Grant and what he does – and Harv has got that ability because of his speed. When he learns to use that speed more wisely, he’s going to be an unbelievable player.”
Powell also singled out Mike McMeeken and insists his team will get better as combinations form. He added: “Some of our players really stepped up. I thought Mike McMeeken was awesome. He missed a fair bit of pre-season too. Jazz (Tevaga) is improving every single week. Caleb (Hamlin-Uele) played well too.
“That’s been our difficulty. We haven’t been tuned in. There’s a fair bit around that. We need to find the best combinations but it’s a journey. We’re not all singing and dancing but we don’t need to be yet, do we? We’re just working hard to be the best that we can be.”