DUO ARE A TOP ACT
RUGBY LEAGUE Wakey’s revival down to coaches
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KYLE WOOD reckons coaching double act Chris Chester and John Kear are the key to Wakefield’s surge up the table.
Trinity’s 34-24 win at Salford on Sunday was their seventh in a row, lifting them to fourth and level on points with Leeds in third.
With Kear at the helm, Wakey, who entertain the Rhinos on Saturday, achieved their highest Super League finish of fifth in 2009.
The 62-year-old returned to the club as head of rugby this season after five years in the Championship with Batley.
And hooker Wood believes Chester, 38, and Kear are a winning combination.
He said: “They just complement each other so well. Chessie is more calm but John gets you fired up for a game.
“He has brought a big amount of enthusiasm into the club.
Spirit
“He is clear on what he wants and wants aggression in the forwards. Everyone is just buying into what they are both saying.
“At the start of the year, we looked to get in the top eight or the top six. So, being in the top four, we have surprised ourselves a little bit.
“But we have got great team spirit and are working hard for each other.
“When you get that confidence behind you, it goes a long way to getting wins.”
But for an unlikely collapse in their last six games before the competition splits, Wakefield will be in the Super 8s.
In 2015, they were 80 minutes away from the drop, beating Bradford in the inaugural Million Pound Game.
“When I signed, I realised the squad was a good one with decent depth,” said Wood, recruited from Huddersfield.
“So even though we have some injuries, Chris is having a tough job to pick his team every week. That’s pushing everyone to play well to get picked.” ¬Ê Hull FC’s Dean Hadley has agreed another month’s loan at Wakefield.