Wakefield Trinity v Warrington: Players urged to ‘release the shackles’

The assistant has stepped up following Chris Chester’s sacking earlier this week and will send the under-pressure squad out against in-form Warrington Wolves at Belle Vue.

Bidding to avoid a sixth successive loss, and with lots of blame laid at their door after squandering an 18-0 lead at Huddersfield Giants on Sunday, it is important the players respond.

But Poching insisted: “I’d like to see them enjoy themselves.

“I’d like to see them with a smile on their face and just play free. I want to release some of the pressure, because there has been a lot of pressure on everyone over the last little while.

“The unfortunate thing about that is it has led to someone losing their job and regardless of who we are, we all have an involvement in the team so we’ve all had a responsibility and a part in that; we’ve all got to sort out what role we played and fix that up.

(But) I just want to release the shackles and let them go and play.”

Trinity are without England centre Reece Lyne after he suffered an arm injury against Huddersfield so Lee Kershaw could earn a recall.

Scrum-half Mason Lino is also expected to return after missing his first game of the season last weekend due to an ankle issue.

Second-row Jay Pitts returns to the 21-man squad and Brad Walker and Yusuf Aydin are the others in contention for a place.

New Zealander Poching, 47, is looking forward to coaching a club he first fell in love with after moving to the UK to join as a player in 1999.

He excelled in three years at Belle Vue before moving on to win trophies with Leeds Rhinos.

Poching added: “I am excited about the opportunity. I can’t rely on the emotion side of it [producing a performance].

“That alone is going to be a bit of a spur for us, but we’ve also had to prepare them as best we can.”

Warrington have only named a 19-man squad with England stand-off Gareth Widdop returning from injury but Joe Philbin and Robbie Mulhern among those dropping out.