Daryl Powell named Betfred Coach of the Month for July

Daryl Powell has been named as the Betfred Super League Coach of the Month for July after steering Wakefield Trinity through another unbeaten month, keeping them within two points of the top spot.

Voting covers Rounds 17 to 21, with Wakefield’s July beginning in emphatic style against local rivals Castleford Tigers, where they recorded their biggest-ever winning margin over the Tigers with a 48-6 victory at Magic WKND.

Wakefield were in superb form, with Cam Scott, Tom Johnstone and Caleb Hamlin-Uele each crossing twice, before Lachlan Walmsley marked his return from injury with an acrobatic corner finish and a memorable try celebration.

Round 18 saw Wakefield travel east to take on champions Hull KR, in a game that would see the Robins beaten at home for the first time in more than a year.

Early pressure from Harvey Smith and a second-half double from Caius Faatili, coupled with a superb defensive display and a late penalty goal, secured an impressive away win.

The following week, Trinity took on Bradford Bulls where they raced into the lead inside the opening two minutes through Johnstone's try.

In a closely fought contest, further scores from Josh Rourke and Smith made sure of the 26-12 success for Trinity.
Rivals Round returned in Round 20 when Powell’s side went back up against the Tigers.

Castleford led after the first 25 minutes, which also saw Wakefield’s Matty Storton sent off. 

However, Trinity quickly fought back to take an 18-10 lead into the break, before running away with the game in the second half.

Their final game of the month saw Wakefield make the long trip to Perpignan to face Catalans Dragons, where an impressive 32-12 victory kept Powell's side within two points of league leaders Leeds Rhinos.

Doubles from Scott and Isaiah Vagana, along with tries from Jake Trueman and Hamlin-Uele, sealed another convincing win as Trinity continue their push for the top of the table.

One member of the voting panel said: “Daryl Powell's Wakefield are genuine title contenders in Super League, and their form in July was perfect in stamping their credentials.

“They play such an attractive brand of rugby, notably through the revolutionised Jake Trueman who is fulfilling his promise, while their pack can mix it with anyone in the league.

“The win over Hull KR was the stand-out; they nullified the Robins and overpowered them with their game plan.”

The voting panel for Betfred Coach of the Month is made up of selected members of the Rugby League media.