Wakefield Trinity v Huddersfield Giants: Super League match on after pitch inspection

Wakefield suffered a 24-38 home defeat by Catalans Dragons in their first home game of the season last month

Friday's Super League match between Wakefield and Huddersfield will go ahead after Trinity's Be Well Support Stadium pitch passed an inspection.

Trinity had a new hybrid surface installed for the 2023 campaign.

However, there were complaints about it after their opening game of the season against Catalans.

"That was a pretty tough game on a pitch where the boys have got no skin left on their legs," Dragons coach Steve McNamara said at the time.

"It's an issue, a big issue I think, for Wakefield moving forward for their players.

"I hadn't seen anything like that before in terms of the blisters and the blood in the dressing room from that field."

Wakefield chairman John Minards has defended the condition of the playing surface and said that the club are "confident" it will be one of the best in Super League in time.

"It is still in its first year, but we're confident that what we've put down here will be a first-class playing surface that is among the best in the game," Minards told PA.

"The pitch only went down in September and it doesn't grow much during the winter months. Clearly we are not quite where we want to be at the moment, but it will continue to improve."

Giants head coach Ian Watson said he was not worried about the condition of the pitch but that he would give his players the option of wearing a long-sleeved layer under their kit to help protect against any injuries.

Huddersfield have only played once this season because of St Helens' involvement in the World Club Challenge.

"We needed to get the game on. We're already a week behind everyone else so another game off would have been a real kick in the teeth," he said.

"I think all this could have been avoided with a little bit more proper planning. It looks like it's been a bit overused since it was put down and not allowed the grass to knit."