Wakefield Trinity boss Willie Poching is confident Jamie Shaul will be able to hit the ground running if he makes his debut against St Helens on Sunday (Match Betting (80 Minutes) – Wakefield Trinity 4/1, St Helens 1/5, Tie 22/1).
The fullback has moved to Belle Vue on loan for the remainder of the season after finding his gametime limited at Hull FC due to the presence of Jake Connor and another temporary transfer, Jack Walker, who recently joined from Leeds.
Shaul is expected to debut on Sunday, while Jorge Taufua and Josh Bowden are also set to make their maiden home outings for the Betfred Super League’s bottom club.
Saints (EVS Grand Final Winner) will be without Will Hopoate, Sione Mata’utia and Morgan Knowles for the game and Krisitan Woolf has admitted that he will need to be flexible with his selection.
The three-time defending champions have bounced back from their defeat to Catalans by beating both Wigan and Huddersfield.
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However, it has been a different story for Wakefield, who have lost their last four and are bottom behind Toulouse on points difference.
Shaul’s inclusion could act as a catalyst though and a victory in their game in hand would see the hosts leapfrog the French club, who went down 24-11 to Salford on Saturday (Handicap 3-way – +14 Wakefield Trinity EVS, -14 St Helens EVS, +14 Tie 16/1).
Poching is certainly excited to see the dynamic 30-year-old in action and believes he could play a crucial role in guiding the club to safety.
“It’s fantastic to be able to bring Jamie Shaul in,” said Poching when speaking to the club’s website earlier this week.
“He’s a winner and he knows what success looks like. Hopefully his energy and his experience will be infectious on us and we’re very fortunate to be able to bring someone like him in at this stage of the season.
“Jamie is excited by the challenge that lies ahead of us and he’s more than ready to roll his sleeves up and help in our push to go forward.”
