Troubled Locke ends Super League stint

Kevin Locke’s brief but eventful time in Super League is over after Wakefield chairman Michael Carter confirmed the former New Zealand international has played his last match for the club.

The 26-year-old fullback, who joined the Wildcats on a short-term contract three months ago after securing a release from his unhappy spell at Salford, was suspended by the club a fortnight ago after being involved in a car crash with former Parramatta playmaker Tim Smith.

Smith is due to appear before magistrates in east Yorkshire on Wednesday to face a charge of driving without due care and attention and remains the subject of an internal investigation by Wakefield.

But Carter revealed on Tuesday that Locke has now returned to New Zealand.

“Kevin won’t play for Wakefield Trinity Wildcats again,” said Carter.

“We’ve concluded the case involving him, shook hands and gone our own ways. He’s now back home with his son.

“It was just one of those things, sadly. He picked up a shoulder injury anyway and would have been doubtful for the games he’d missed due to this matter, so we were focusing on playing without him anyway.

“The situation with Tim is still ongoing, I believe he’s in court on Wednesday so I don’t think anything will be resolved from a club perspective before the weekend and the game against Bradford. It’s still very sensitive and I’d just prefer to concentrate on what’s ahead of us.”

Salford paid a transfer fee to the Warriors last year but he made just 13 appearances for the Red Devils in a little over 12 months and played just five times for the Wildcats.

It is believed he’s now talking to the Melbourne Storm about the prospect of returning to the NRL.

The latest development comes just four days before Wakefield’s biggest game in their recent history, the stg1million match against Bradford which will determine the 12th and final place in Super League in 2016.

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