Wakefield Trinity Ladies look to cause an upset in the Betfred Women’s Super League

The Betfred Women’s Super League gets underway in May as pre-season is well underway.

There have been a plethora of signings between the teams and a side that has added bulk to their squad is Wakefield Trinity Ladies.

They have added 14 new signings to the squad which Head Coach Liam Harnell feels has been a testament to the hard work of the backroom staff.

Also, Harnell says the new recruits have boosted morale to the squad and will provide plenty of headaches for the coaching staff when it comes to squad selection.

“Our new signings have come in and complimented our existing squad members and transformed moral. We held trials at the start of October and it was really pleasing to see how much interest we had. This is testament to the backroom staff for all the hard work they do in recruitment.”

The 2021 season was marked as a re-build year for Trinity, but the coaching staff have built a strong squad and are looking forward to 2022. The league splitting into two groups will give them a chance to be a part of more competitive matches and will give the squad the chance to grow and establish themselves.

“With the new two-tier system, we should find more competitive games which will be more enjoyable for the players thus allowing clubs in their infancy stages to develop existing players and aid growth by creating interest in potential new players. This should complement us in the stage we’re at. We have a young squad full of potential and we’re only going to get stronger, it’s exciting”

The team is built upon values and professionalism, and since their promotion to the Women’s Super League in 2018, the team have been striving for big things.

It has not always clicked, but with the new league layout and strength of the current squad, there is certainly a buzz around the team as they enter the 2022 season. This was proved with the interest on trial days and the calibre of players they have recruited, showing that Wakefield is a team that women want to play for.

Harnell also highlighted the main aims for the side this season and what he is planning to achieve in 2022.

“Our main aim is to be competitive every time we step foot on the field and win as a team. As a group we strive to continually develop and be successful in the sport we’re all passionate about.

“What’s also important is we do this by upholding our own team values and professionalism. We aim to create a thriving environment, a buzz around the club that everyone wants to be part of. In which, we’re certainly on the right track as pre-season comes to a close.”

Wakefield kick off their season on May 15th against newly-promoted Leigh Miners Ladies, and with the prospect of facing the unknown entity in the Super League, it can be hard to prepare for.

Trinity’s Head Coach has faith that if they get the fundamentals right and control the variables they will come out with a positive result.

“As a group, all we need to focus on is the variables we can control. The players set our team standards in our first team meeting at the start of the year, and as coaches, we facilitate and help drive those standards.

“Our preparations have been fantastic as we lead up to our first game of the season and this is down to the players and how they have conducted themselves throughout. As a squad we’re ready for the fixture against Leigh and a message I will be giving the players on game day is, don’t underestimate them.

“Leigh are new to Super League and will be eager to make a statement and make history for their club. We will have to be prepared to weather that storm and finish the game with the 2 points.”

Harnell and the squad are looking forward to getting the season underway and showing the results of an arduous pre-season into competitive games.

“We’re eager and really looking forward to getting out there and showcasing the hard graft everyone at the club has put in over a gruelling pre-season. Although, it’s always nice to get the bragging right wins against your neighbouring clubs. The players will welcome the opportunity to put right last season and surprise the league.”

At the end of the 2021 season, you would think that Wakefield would be the underdogs going in this season. This is an opinion that will not be taken lightly by the squad and they are on course to cause some upsets in the Betfred Women’s Super League Group 2.

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