Wakefield Trinity coach Daryl Powell insists the club have no fresh news on the future of Tyson Smoothy – with no NRL exit deal still close to being sorted for the hooker.
Love Rugby League revealed earlier this season how Smoothy had told Wakefield he was keen to explore a return to Australia at the end of this season for family reasons, just one year into a three-year deal with the Super League club.
That would be a major blow for Trinity, who had rightly unveiled Smoothy as a major signing for the club when he joined at the start of this season, having just featured for NRL champions Brisbane Broncos throughout 2025.
But Smoothy still has not finalised a deal to leave the club.
‘No further news’
Wakefield coach Powell was asked about Smoothy’s future earlier this week in the run-up to Saturday afternoon’s clash with Hull KR at the DIY Kitchens Stadium.
And the Trinity boss insisted Smoothy’s future remains up in the air.
He said: “We haven’t worked through that yet. We’ll see where that gets to but I’ve got no further news on that yet.”
That would imply no deal has been agreed, and Love Rugby League has been told there is no movement yet, with Smoothy and Wakefield fully focussed on continuing the club’s push into the upper echelons of Super League.
Smoothy’s options
With Smoothy seeking a return to Australia for personal reasons, it has also been stressed to Love Rugby League that it reduces the number of NRL teams he could potentially sign for.
However, Perth Bears are interested in signing the hooker and are keen to add him to their inaugural playing squad for the 2027 season when they enter the NRL under the leadership of Mal Meninga.
But Wakefield insist no release clause for a return to the NRL was inserted into Smoothy’s contract when he joined the club at the start of this season.
That would mean they are entitled to a fee should Smoothy find a suitable club to sign for in Australia – and Wakefield are understood to be keen on protecting that position.
That means the situation could be set to rumble on for a while longer yet – though Wakefield would obviously need to source a possible replacement.
Young homegrown hooker Harvey Smith is tipped for a bright future at the club, but Trinity would likely look at options in the overseas market to replace Smoothy if he did depart – as is still expected to be the case.
