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{ Wakefield Trinity Wildcats' head coach John Kear is optimistic the club can punch its weight in the Super League. Photograph: Ed Sykes/Action Images

Wakefield Trinity have finally emerged from administration under new ownership and rejecting suggestions that they will be cannon fodder both in the Super League this season and in the battle for a licence from 2012. Trinity have lost three senior players from what was already the thinnest squad in the competition because of delays in the negotiations between the administrators and Andrew Glover, who completed his takeover on Thursday afternoon.

They are likely to be deducted at least four points after a Rugby Football League board meeting on Friday, and the uncertainty over their plans to develop a new stadium, which have been called in for a public inquiry, has also left them as the most obviously vulnerable of the 14 Super League clubs, at least one of whom will be demoted when a new batch of three-year licences are awarded in July.

But Glover and John Kear, who will be staying on as coach contrary to suggestions that he had been made redundant, have come out fighting. "Wakefield needs a Super League club, and we will definitely be bidding for a licence," Glover said. "There's three of us in this fight – us, Castleford and Salford – and we have stable finances, which is a big plus."

Kear has already completed deals for four new players, all of them from the fringe of other Super League squads – Josh Griffin and Greg Johnson on permanent transfers from Huddersfield, and loan deals for Kyle Amor from Leeds, and Craig Harvey from Warrington. Glover confirmed that funds will be made available for further signings, almost certainly including Jordan Tansey, the full-back who was recently sacked by Hull for disciplinary reasons.

None of the new players will be available for Saturday's game against the Catalans Dragons, and Kear had only 18 available to fly to Perpignan on Friday morning after the loss of Sam Obst to Hull, Dale Ferguson to Huddersfield, Daryl Millard to the Catalans, and Matt Blaymire for at least eight weeks with a broken hand.

But the four new signings will all be in contention for Wakefield's first home game of the season against Salford on Sunday week, when Kear also hopes that the Maori half-back Jeremy Smith will have received a visa to face his former club, and the young prop Ben Gledhill should also be fit.

Salford's coach Shaun McRae has enough problems of his own ahead of Friday night's home game against St Helens after a 42-12 thrashing by the Crusaders in Cardiff last weekend. Wayne Godwin has achieved the unusual distinction of being suspended twice already this season – once for a spear tackle in a trial match against Wigan, and now for two matches after being dismissed for punching at the Millennium Stadium – forcing McRae to switch the former Saints scrum-half Matty Smith to hooker.

Saints also have injury problems, with Leon Pryce, Gary Wheeler and James Graham definitely out, and Paul Wellens doubtful, but the Australian forward Chris Flannery will make his first appearance of the season after missing their draw against Wigan in Cardiff with a knee injury. Hull remain hopeful that Obst will be cleared to make his debut in their televised home game against Leeds.

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