Wakefield Trinity Ladies RL coach, Charlie Doherty, talks us through his side’s preparation ahead of our first game of the Women’s Super League season against Leigh Miners on Sunday.
How is the spirit in the camp ahead of the first game of the WSL season?
Spirit in camp is great right now. Every player has reacted really well to the stuff we’ve done off the back of our Challenge Cup games. It’s feeling really positive and we’re looking forward to getting stuck into this league.
How much have you and your staff learnt over the course of both pre-season and our Challenge Cup campaigns?
We feel that we needed the long pre-season we have had to set us up for this imminent season as we had a lot of learning to do from last year. We’ve made a lot of signings during the offseason, so the friendlies, Challenge Cup & Nines have given us the chance to try different combinations and play players in positions that they may not have thought about playing before. This has allowed us to pick a squad that is versatile and will compete well.
What are you expecting from your side in the first WSL game of the season?
I know that the squad is raring to go and can’t wait for it to start so we will be expecting the same things we want every time we step onto the field. 100% percent effort from the first whistle to the last; tough carries; be strong in contact; support each other whether things go right or wrong; stick to the game plan we’ve discussed & covered in training, and hopefully come away successful.
How much do you know about our opposition?
I have managed to catch a few of their games and know that they are coming into the Super League as Champions with the best defensive record in last season’s Championship. We know that Leigh Miners are not going to be an easy task and we expect them to come at us hard with the strong ball carriers and quick ruck defence they have.
How important will a positive start be on Sunday?
A positive start is massive as it ensures that morale stays high and really sets the foundations of how we will look to play and be successful for the rest of the game.