8. Wakefield Trinity
Blighted by injuries last season but the vulnerability was always there.
Too reliant on Fifita up the middle, defensively weak out wide, and lacking ruthlessness against the weaker sides in the competition.
After such a dreadful second half of 2019 the pressure will be on Wakefield to start next season with good results or the confidence in the camp will be low. If key players such as Bill Tupou, Tom Johnstone, David Fifita and Matty Ashurst stay fit, I expect Wakefield to moderately improve on last season’s position.
A squad blessed with plenty of power in the forwards and plenty of pace in the backs, Wakefield have plenty of points in them and will remain tough to beat at home.
A possible concern is in the halves. Ryan Hampshire is much improved but the role of the scrum-half restricts him somewhat from playing his natural off-the-cuff game and I think the veteran 37-year-old Danny Brough might struggle to physically cope through a full season of top-flight rugby league.
They have enough strike, power and quality to steer well away from the relegation battle but need to improve their consistency if they’re to seriously trouble the top five. The explosive, athletic back-row forward Kelepi Tanginoa is one to watch next season.
Key Player – David Fifita. The emotional leader on the pitch for Wakefield. He possesses raw aggression, outrageous offloads and explosive power in the contact. His leadership and go-forward gives the rest of a team a real lift.
