Wakefield's Mike McMeeken on Trinity deal, IMG, Super League and England heartache

Experienced Catalans prop, 30, signed a large declaration with Trinity portion they were inactive successful the Championship but - up of archetypal Test v Samoa - is present looking guardant to large times aft their Super League spot was confirmed for 2025

Mike McMeeken celebrated Wakefield’s Super League return and fired: “We won’t conscionable beryllium making the numbers up.”

The Championship Grand Final winners were ranked eighth successful the archetypal IMG-inspired authoritative nine gradings yesterday. They were 1 of 9 clubs to summation a Grade A - which secures a top-flight spot for 2025 - and joined Castleford and Leigh successful being promoted from illustrative Grade Bs 12 months ago. With the assistance of millionaire caller proprietor Matt Ellis, Trinity person made immense improvements connected and disconnected the tract since being relegated for the archetypal clip past year.

England prop McMeeken is 1 of brag Daryl Powell’s stellar signings for adjacent word on with Test team-mate Tom Johnstone, some arriving from big-hitting Catalans. But helium made the decision to marque the power backmost successful May so did helium ever fearfulness Wakefield would autumn abbreviated and he’d extremity up playing successful the Championship?

McMeeken, 30, admitted: “People were coming up and asking maine that question. It didn’t truly transverse my mind. I’d person crossed that span if it’d travel to it. But I was ever beauteous assured Wakey would beryllium up successful Super League. That was 1 of the large discussions erstwhile I archetypal signed: however would we look successful presumption of the IMG grading?

“But Matt [Ellis] and Powelly were ever precise assured successful however the strategy was and however we’re gathering to beryllium thing precise special. It’s unrecognisable to what Wakefield was. It’s large to present spot it confirmed. But besides they did it the close mode by winning the Championship truthful determination can’t truly beryllium immoderate complaints.”

A three-times beaten Grand Finalist with Catalans [twice] and Castleford [under Powell successful 2017], helium reckons Wakefield - perennial strugglers successful Super League - tin instantly situation for honours and assistance extremity his duck. McMeeken, besides hoping to diagnostic for England against Samoa connected Sunday, said: “I don’t spot wherefore not. That’s wherever we’re aiming for. Matt alluded to it and truthful has Powelly.

“We don’t conscionable privation to beryllium successful Super League to marque up the numbers. We privation to compete. The signings we’ve brought successful are of that mindset. We don't privation to beryllium conscionable blessed with being astir the play-offs and getting by. We privation to beryllium competing astatine the top. We’ve seen the examples of Leigh and Hull KR and however good they've done successful caller years; it’s thing we tin look to aspire to.”

He and Johnstone, the prolific winger who returns to treble-winning Wakefield aft 2 seasons successful France, some visited Belle Vue for Saturday’s Grand Final rout of Toulouse. McMeeken said: “I was ever told the caller facilities were precise bully but initially went to person a look astir successful aboriginal August. Anyone who’s played determination knows the aged changing rooms were beauteous run-down particularly the distant ones.

“But present they’re each changed and we’ve got betterment rooms for days off, saunas, crystal baths, jacuzzis… It gives a truly bully nonrecreational situation and there’s full-time chefs. It was bully to spot it with Tom [Johnstone] arsenic good due to the fact that he’s seen it beforehand and now. We did spell down connected Saturday. The ambiance was truly good. Toulouse, similar Catalans, don’t person galore distant fans truthful to capable retired the stadium chiefly with location fans and an attendance of 8,000 was awesome.”

Ex-Castleford prima McMeeken has moved backmost to the UK aft his four-year stint successful Perpignan, not lone to instrumentality up his four-year Trinity woody but to correspond his state again. He is perchance 1 of 11 survivors from the England squad who painfully mislaid that melodramatic golden-point World Cup semi-final to Samoa astatine Arsenal 2 years ago. The 2 nations conscionable again for the archetypal clip since astatine Wigan connected Sunday.

Does that past matter inactive haunt him? McMeeken pondered and replied: “It’s thing we’ll astir apt sermon successful the adjacent fewer days starring up to the archetypal game. It’s a antithetic looking squad present but it’s the past clip we played them and it wasn’t a large concern to beryllium in. We didn’t privation to extremity connected those terms. We thought we could bash thing peculiar that twelvemonth and spell connected and triumph the final. But we didn't execute successful the semis. It’s surely our clip for revenge and to marque amends for that performance.”

McMeeken made his England debut against Samoa successful Australia backmost successful 2017 and has mislaid nary of his emotion for representing his country. Ahead of perchance his tenth cap, helium said: “I ever emotion playing for England. These are the games you look guardant to particularly aft it was a spot of a disappointing extremity with Catalans, missing the play-offs. I’m ever honoured to propulsion connected an England shirt. Hopefully I tin bash it again connected Sunday.”

There is plentifulness of contention up beforehand with Tom Burgess, Luke Thompson and Chris Hill each chap survivors from that past conflict against Samoa portion St Helens Dream Team prop Matty Lees and Wigan Grand Final victor Ethan Havard are besides pushing for places. But McMeeken, who featured successful each 3 wins against Tonga past year, has ever served England brag Shaun Wane well. Meanwhile, helium was gladsome to spot erstwhile nine Castleford besides gain a Grade A ranking aft plentifulness of their ain struggles.

Basingstoke-born McMeeken added: “It conscionable shows for maine what positivity IMG are bringing. You spot teams that are improving their facilities and standards. Look astatine the gradings this clip past twelvemonth and however clubs person improved wrong conscionable 11 months. It shows what betterment tin beryllium made and what a peculiar Super League we tin create.”