Daryl Powell savoured victory on his return to Warrington Wolves as Wakefield Trinity continued their strong start to their return to the Betfred Super League with a 30-16 win.
Sunday’s Round 4 clash at the Halliwell Jones Stadium marked Powell’s first meeting with the Wolves since his ill-fated 18 months at the helm ended with him being sacked in July 2023 – ironically enough, following a defeat against Wakefield.
But tries from Jack Croft, Liam Hood, Matty Russell, Matty Storton and Caleb Hamlin-Uele propelled promoted Trinity to their second win of the season and put them above the head coach’s former side on points difference.
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“Obviously this was a pretty important game for me,” Powell said. “I just said ‘thanks’ to the boys and they all laughed.
“I didn’t do press earlier on in the week because I didn’t want it to be about me, I wanted it to be about the players and they did a great job.
“For me, coming back, this is the only place it’s not really worked for me as a coach. Not that I had a point to prove, but I kind of have done since I came back into Super League – and we’ve got a great group of players and staff to attack it with.
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to come and win this game. I want to win every game, but this one was pretty special.”
Powell took charge of Wakefield ahead of the 2024 season following their relegation from Super League, and found success immediately by guiding them to a Betfred Championship and AB Sundecks 1895 Cup double.
Promoted back to the top division for 2025 thanks to an improved IMG grading, Trinity made an early statement with a 14-12 win away to West Yorkshire rivals Leeds Rhinos in Round 1.
A defeat by the same scoreline at home to last year’s Grand Finalists Hull KR earned plaudits too, while the win over Warrington firmly banished any memories of the previous week’s 26-6 loss at home to St Helens.
Powell was full of praise for the likes of Croft, who has moved into the back row from the three-quarters this year, and off-season signing Storton as being among the players he sees as reinventing themselves at Trinity.
Those efforts have put them just outside the play-off places with four rounds gone and although he acknowledged it is still very much early days in the campaign, the man who guided Castleford Tigers to the League Leaders’ Shield in 2017 is still allowing himself to dream.
“Top six would be utopia for a team which has just got promoted, signed ten new players and built a new team,” Powell, whose side travel to struggling Huddersfield Giants in the Betfred Challenge Cup fourth round on Sunday, said.
“I just think we need to be consistent and keep growing what we’ve got. I’m not saying we’re going to win the comp, that’s not what we’re talking about, but you can dream, can’t you?
“You keep driving. I’ve been part of a few teams which have got to be the best in the competition through constant development and growth and we’ve got an awesome opportunity here.”
