2023 Season Review: Wakefield Trinity

16 Nov 2023

Pundits have been lining up to predict Wakefield's Super League demise for years, and they did so again at the start of 2023.

This time however, after 25 seasons in the top flight, Trinity have succumbed to the drop, although not before a stirring and somewhat unexpected mid-season revival.

Ahead of the campaign the club appointed rookie coach Mark Applegarth to replace Willie Poching, and lost several key figures from their 2022 squad, including Jacob Miller, Tom Johnstone and Tinirau Arona.

Much more damaging than that, however, was losing their first 14 games of the Betfred Super League season, which was always going to make survival the toughest of tasks.

Trinity also earned an early reputation for struggling to score points - in five of those first nine defeats, they failed to get off the mark.

There were narrow and frustrating losses too, including a one-point loss at Salford and a gritty opening weekend effort against Catalans Dragons.

But by the time Applegarth's side slumped to a 30-4 Magic Weekend defeat to a Leigh Leopards team that had Ben Reynolds sent off and were reduced to 11 men at one point, relegation appeared inevitable.

Trinity are on fire ?

Two quick tries puts @WTrinityRL 24-14 ahead with just 10 minutes remaining ?#SLWakLee #SuperLeague pic.twitter.com/6hJpUiysuX
— Betfred Super League (@SuperLeague) June 11, 2023

Trinity stuck by their coach however, and the following weekend an unlikely resurgence began with a galvanising 24-14 home win over Leeds Rhinos.

A loss to Hull KR followed, but Wakefield then comprehensively accounted for Salford before Will Dagger secured a memorable one-point win over high-flying Wigan, with both matches again coming at the Be Well Support Stadium.

When Warrington were swept aside 42-6 two weeks later - Innes Senior scoring four tries in the side's most accomplished performance of the season - Trinity suddenly had four wins from six and remarkably were off the bottom. Those pre-season pundits were suddenly now favouring Castleford as the team most likely to suffer the drop.

"I think that's the most clinical we've been all year," Applegarth said after the Warrington game.

"We've got to build on that now. It's really important that we don't get carried away with ourselves and keep ourselves nice and grounded.

"We've given ourselves a fighting chance and we have to take it week by week and make sure we keep our standards up."

What a performance @WTrinityRL ?#SLWakWar pic.twitter.com/gRjphbT5lf
— Betfred Super League (@SuperLeague) July 30, 2023

Most pundits suspected that the crucial night would come when the two bottom teams met in Round 22 - and by that time the Tigers had been reinvigorated themselves by the appointment of Danny Ward as coach.

Victory would have put Wakefield in the box seat to survive with just five rounds remaining, but it was Cas who prevailed 28-12, and Applegarth and his squad never recovered from that disappointment.

Relegation was confirmed on a dramatic night at Leigh when mid-season signing Luke Gale thought he had secured a final lifeline with a late drop goal that sent the game into extra-time, before the Leopards kicked the crucial golden point through Gareth O'Brien. As a result, next season Trinity will be playing in the second tier for the first time since 1998.

"I don't think I can sum up my emotions - I'm hurt if I'm honest," Applegarth reflected. "It's my responsibility and I feel that on my shoulders. It's a bit raw at the moment.

"The table doesn't lie and we've not been good enough all year. We've got some tough decisions to make but one thing I will guarantee is that Wakefield Trinity will be back."

It was a tough introduction to coaching at the top level of Applegarth, but the former back rower earned plenty of admirers for the way he conducted himself impeccably throughout a difficult year.

Amid the adversity, his captain Matty Ashurst stood tall throughout, with the likes of Jai Whitbread, Liam Hood and Eddie Battye offering support in the pack. Max Jowitt, Lee Kershaw and Dagger all had their moments too, but ultimately it was not enough to keep Trinity up.

It's far from all doom and gloom at the club despite their on-field demise, with the 2023 season seeing the long-awaited rebuild of the main stand at their traditional Belle View home, and significant new investment following the completion of a takeover which had bubbled in the background throughout the year.

.@WTrinityRL hit straight back through former Saint Matty Ashurst ?#SuperLeague #SLWakStH pic.twitter.com/DOlxvecZlA
— Betfred Super League (@SuperLeague) September 3, 2023

For the first time in a quarter of a century, Wakefield will not step out in the top flight when the 2024 campaign kicks off - but the club are already tackling that prospect with relish.

Key man

Few players in Super League have maintained the levels of consistency of Matty Ashurst over the last decade and the Wakefield skipper continued to maintain those standards in the most trying of circumstances. The announcement in July that the former St Helens and Salford man will extend his stay at Trinity to a tenth season and a testimonial was greeted with universal appreciation by the club's supporters.

Rising star

Front rower Sam Eseh came into the new season as the Betfred Championship Young Player of Year following a loan spell at Featherstone - and stepped up to the mark at the higher level with 14 appearances off the bench. Eseh certainly didn't look out of place and at 20 years old, the prop looks to have a big future in the sport ahead of him.

Season highlight

When Trinity thumped Warrington 42-6 in their July Round 20 clash, it was a fourth win from six and finally hauled Mark Applegarth's side off the foot of the Betfred Super League table. At that stage, with four more home games to come, Wakefield looked at least a fighting chance of surviving relegation.