Daryl Powell backed Josh Rourke to fill the Max Jowitt-sized hole in Wakefield Trinity’s back line after their star full-back was injured in Sunday’s Betfred Challenge Cup win over Huddersfield Giants.
Jowitt is potentially facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to suffering a lower leg injury which left him in a protective boot during the 22-12 win at the John Smith’s Stadium, and will undergo a scan this week to diagnose the issue.
Trinity head coach Powell expects Rourke, who was signed over the winter after impressing for London Broncos in the Betfred Super League last year, to prove a more than adequate deputy for the man who scored a world-record 500 points in 2024.
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“It doesn’t look great, but we don’t know until we get a scan,” Powell said of Jowitt’s injury. “He came off in a bit of pain and he’s in a boot, so we’ll get him checked out.
“He’s been outstanding, he’s a high-quality full-back. It does make a big difference to your team.
“But we signed Josh Rourke in the close season. He showed at London he’s a decent full-back and he’s got plenty of quality about him.
“He’ll get an opportunity and he’s been waiting for that, so he’ll have to step up and do a good job for us, and I’m confident he will.”
Jowitt is not the only injury concern for Powell, with forwards Matty Storton and Isaiah Vagana suffering knee and shoulder injuries respectively, which will also require scans, in the last-16 win over the Giants.
The 59-year-old hailed the grit and determination shown by his team to book their place in the quarter-finals despite losing three key players and having to battle back from 12-6 down at half time.
However, there is not much time for Wakefield to dream about making it back-to-back Wembley appearances, having won the 1895 Cup last year, as attention immediately switches to the visit of Hull FC in Round 5 of Super League on Friday.
The Black and Whites head to the DIY Kitchens Stadium buoyed by a comeback win of their own in the Challenge Cup on Saturday which saw them knock out holders Wigan Warriors.
Although three big names are potentially absent, Powell expects to have several other players returning to the fold for that match and is excited to see what more is to come from Wakefield after a solid start after earning promotion back to Super League.
“We’re still growing and developing as a team,” Powell said. “We still don’t know the team we are because we’ve got ten new players and we’re early in the season.
“I think we’re managing our fellas pretty well and we’re really competitive in pretty much all of the games we’ve been in.
“It’s been a pretty good journey learning about ourselves as a team and we learned a little bit more about ourselves [against Huddersfield].
“Everybody is here for a reason and we’re going to find that out in the next period with the short turnaround to the Hull game.”
