Saints 2026 - Brave New World Or Low Budget Supermarket Sweep

It hasn't taken long for transformation at Saints. Yet much of it has not gone to plan. Kristian Woolf left in 2022 and with him went the aura that had come from dominating Super League for an unprecedented four seasons in a row. 

The early highlight of the 2023 World Club Challenge win at the home of Penrith Panthers was as the absolute zenith of Wellens' reign.  The remainder was as disappointing as a Moses Mbye bomb.

Saints didn't reach a final after that victory in Australia and laboured to finish fifth and sixth in 2024 and 2025. Wellens Out, we cried, not without justification. 

So in comes Paul Rowley, worker of multiple miracles at Salford but with quite the job on to bring back anything resembling an aura.

The Ashes series is barely over and the obligatory new kit hasn't been launched yet. But there is much to think about for Saints and Rowley ahead of the 2026 season. 

Saints made one acquisition for 2026 before Rowley replaced Wellens. Jacob Host came in from South Sydney Rabbitohs. More about that later. Since Rowley's appointment Saints have made a further nine recruitment and retention moves. There are arguments for and against all of them. Like the cast of a celebrity reality show, it's a mixed bag.

Back to Host. Saints needed back rowers following the departure of Morgan Knowles, James Batchelor and James Bell. Knowles has been crucial for Saints for a decade but has chosen to test himself in the NRL. So busy and influential was he that it's impossible to replace everything he brought to the team with one signing. You have to do it by committee. Less seismically a fading Batchelor and a seldom used Bell have both joined Hull FC. 

Grand Finalists as recently as 2021 the Rabbitohs languished in 14th in 2025. Host was on the bench for that 14-12 loss to the Panthers. Yet in 2025 he made only eight appearances under the stewardship of famously cranky coaching legend Wayne Bennett. Overall Host has managed 119 appearances in five seasons in red and green. 

His 2025 inactivity was partly caused by injury as well as the whims of Wayne. Yet it will be a red flag to some among the fan base. Still, it's fair to remember that Curtis Sironen had only made 66 appearances in a similar period at Manly before he arrived at Saints in 2022. And he's now a Super League Grand Final winner. His spell at Saints has coincided with the drop off in success but most would accept that he has been consistently solid in the pack. 

At 29 Host is three years younger than Sironen. He still should have plenty of fuel in the tank to make an impression on Super League. He joins on a two-year deal to the end of the 2027 season. If not wildly exciting his capture can be categorised as encouraging.

Arguably the most eye catching signing ahead of 2026 is that of prop David Klemmer from St George-Illawarra Dragons. The 31-year old has agreed a two-year deal to swap the red vee of the Dragons for ours. So at least we'll know it suits him. Klemmer has also played in the NRL for Canterbury, Newcastle and Wests Tigers. He has amassed 14 State Of Origin appearances and 19 caps for the Australian Kangaroos along the way. Nobody can say he lacks pedigree.

He's no sideline dweller either. He has been heavily involved in his only season with the Dragons. He made 22 appearances for Shane Flanagan's side who finished a place lower than the Rabbitohs in 15th. If you're worried that we're shopping at the lower end of the NRL you'd be right. But you should also remember that it is a higher standard of competition than Super League. An NRL plodder could become a Super League demigod. 

It comes down to attitude and application. If Host and Klemmer want to be at their best they'll be easily good enough. But if they don't, they won't. It's not just a case of turning up even if you are a former Kangaroo. For every David Fairleigh there's a Josh Perry. You don't know for certain which you'll get until they've had time to settle in. It's one of the intriguing things about fandom. 

So far so not disastrous, then. Saints' third signing has generated rather more negativity. Joe Shorrocks arrives from ex-Super League whipping boys Salford Red Devils. He's a prop or a loose forward. As if there's a difference. He has worked under Rowley at Salford and before that spent five seasons at that great bastion of housery, Wigan. 

The trouble is not that he's come from a crisis club from whom we have already acquired Rowley, Deon Cross and Shane Wright. Or that he has history with the nefarious Warriors. It's that he didn't earn glowing reviews at either. Which all combines to suggest that he's not a player who improves the Saints squad. 

If everyone is fit he doesn't make many fans' match day 17. Or Rowley's in all probability. The fact he has a one year deal implies that the people who recruited him aren't convinced. But they still present his signing as exciting transfer news - symptomatic of the kind of disconnect that developed between the fans and the club at the fag end of the Wellens era.

The final arrival from outside the club - not counting Shane Wright whose loan from Salford (them again) was made permanent in September - is Jacob Douglas. He's a 21 year-old winger who makes the switch from Wigan. The first question this might throw up is about why we want him if they don't. 

Described by the club's press dribble as pacy and athletic he might be one for the future. Kyle Feldt, Owen Dagnall, Lewis Senior and even Tristan Sailor look more likely wing selections at present. But there are longer term considerations. Murphy is injury prone. Feldt and Sailor are out of contract at the end of 2026. That Could be Douglas' time. But...why don't THEY want him...?

The club have been busy deciding who they want to keep as well as who they want to bring in. Chief among the list of the retained is hooker Daryl Clark. The ex-Castleford and Warrington beard wearer faced the insurmountable challenge of replacing James Roby. And before him Keiron Cunningham. Saints fans judge their number nines by a higher standard. 

The best version of Clark was around 10 years ago. But he has done a more than adequate job since becoming a Saint at the start of 2024. He'll be 33 by the start of next season but should be able to play an effective role throughout his new deal which runs to the end of 2027. Not too much to worry about here. Rowley may also be able to get a little extra out of him which Wellens couldn't.

With Mbye having said bye bye the only other hooker with any first team experience is Jake Burns. He's fairly well established having made his debut in July 2024 and made 20 appearances. He has seemingly done enough in those games to convince the hierarchy that he is worth another two years. That suggests a degree of confidence in his abilities since contracts of three or more years are becoming rare.

Though he has shown some promise there are concerns about whether he has enough talent to compensate for his lack of height. He does not have the speed of Rob Burrow. Despite his diminutive stature he was able to operate at nine for Leeds Rhinos at times. You might worry about Burns' defensive workload if he starts to play big minutes.

Burns may still develop, but he doesn't have as much time as is often perceived. At 25 he's no longer at an age when he can be viewed as potential. He has to step up immediately. Unless the plan is for Clark to consistently play 80 minutes at this late stage of his career. It's surprising that Saints haven't brought an experienced number nine in. They may still, but with other clubs also shaping their squads the options are diminishing.

Matt Whitley has been quietly effective during the three seasons he has spent with his hometown club since joining in 2023. Unlike many from the club's famed youth production line Whitley had to take the more circuitous route via Widnes Vikings and Catalans Dragons. 

He's made 52 appearances since then and has the versatility to fill in at centre. Though you could make a case that Wellens overused him there. He's predominantly a wide running back rower with good hands and a real willingness to put a defensive shift in. He's not a superstar. Not everybody can be in a salary capped sport. 

The big question mark on Whitley's new deal is that it is for three years. As already alluded to we see fewer and fewer of these. I'm not certain that he's such a lock in at that position to justify the commitment. I wouldn't blink if Sironen and Host were paired ahead of him. Add to that he turns 30 before the season starts. 

If he maintains his form and is happy to share minutes then it works. Or Rowley could go mad and use Whitley as a 13 as he's probably the most creative of the three with ball in hand. Sironen's days at stand-off are well behind him after all. 

The issue of Jake Wingfield as a Saints is becoming a thorny one. The utility forward has a one-year deal with options for 2027 and 2028 dependent on appearances. That's largely because his injury record is perceived to be worse than my sickness record at work since I started on the immunosuppressants. 

That's maybe a little hyperbolic. His 64 games in five seasons compares with Sironen's time with the Sea Eagles alluded to earlier. His 2025 season ended in August at Wakefield when an early exit from proceedings led to ankle surgery. His last appearance of 2024 was in May. So too in 2023. He's never there at the sharp end. 

None of which is his fault but that shouldn't be the only consideration when handling out first team contracts. And maybe it's just me but I don't really get Wingfield when he is available. Is he a prop? A second rower? A 13? We need one of those. But for me it is not him. I struggle to understand how he gets chances not afforded to others. Many compare him to the equally brittle Gary Wheeler. The latter had considerably more talent from my viewpoint. 

That the club have only guaranteed one year hints at their doubts. There's clearly a belief in him tempered with a rising realisation that it may never happen. It's a massive year for his career. I hope he proves me wrong. 

I don't know if Saints' recruitment and retention can be characterised as one offering spoonfuls of hope or despair. It's somewhere in between. Some of these moves are solid and can improve the team, especially under the tutelage of Rowley. Others feel risky and make you think cost cutting was at the forefront. One or two are downright disappointing. 

Yet only time will tell the tale. With three months to go before the new season kicks off there's plenty of time to ponder. What are your thoughts on the moves made?

From St Paul To...Err...St Paul - Rowley Rides In

Saints have taken the first steps on the long road back to genuine contender status with the appointment of Paul Rowley as Head Coach.

The former Salford coach replaces Paul Wellens whose three season tenure was put out of its misery on October 9. It came after two seasons outside the top four and a Super League semi-final defeat to eventual champions Hull KR. 

Making the last four probably sounds like success for many other clubs but unfortunately for Wellens Saints are one of those clubs held to a higher standard by their fans. It wasn't quite good enough especially considering the often tedious style of rugby that got them there.

I'm 100% behind the club's view that Rowley's time is now. Until financial meltdown struck at Salford this year the Red Devils were making great strides. They finished fourth last season before suffering a narrow defeat to Leigh Leopards in the playoffs. That followed finishes of 6th in 2022 and 7th in 2023 respectively. Salford had reached the Grand Final in Rowley's first season with the club as a coaching consultant in 2019. It feels like expectations and culture at Salford have elevated since the ex-Leigh and Toronto coach got involved. Saints need some of that.

A former Leigh and Halifax hooker who made almost 400 first team appearances, Rowley's coaching journey started at the bus stop in Wigan back when they were known as the Centurions.  He won two Championship titles with Leigh which is no mean feat while working for boycott threatening crank Derek Beaumont. 

Rowley had two seasons in charge at Toronto Wolfpack, guiding them into the Championship from League One but left before their ill-fated attempt to play in Super League. Then came Salford. Rowley has done great work with underdogs. Now we will find out how he operates under greater expectation to win.

Just as important as his achievements so far is the style with which his teams went about it. Salford played a much more expansive style of rugby under Rowley than we have seen from Saints since 2019 when Justin Holbrook left for Gold Coast. 

That might not seem like much on the face of it but with players like Brodie Croft, Marc Sneyd, Nene McDonald and Tim Lafai in the side Salford were genuinely among the better teams in terms of entertainment value during Rowley's reign. That is surely going to resonate with a set of fans who have had three years of one out rugby without success under Wellens.

His experience will also add a layer of calmness that was absent with Wellens. With each passing defeat - usually against top three sides - Wellens would look increasingly stressed, fraught even. Despite his stellar playing career he never truly possessed the calmness under pressure that characterised his playing style. Rowley has seen it all before when it comes to adversity. He has dealt with far bigger problems in recent times than anything in Wellens' in-tray. 

The kind of firefighting Rowley has been involved in during 2025 might raise a question about how he will deal with higher expectations. Nobody expected Salford to win games this term. It was an achievement to get a team on to the field week to week. Reports suggest players were often meeting for the first time in the lead in to some fixtures. That they managed to win even three games is a testament to Rowley's ability to get the best out of players and forge the kind of togetherness that is required to be successful. 

He will face a level of pressure and expectation that he hasn't yet encountered. Three seasons of underachievement and dull rugby will have done nothing to dampen the expectations of some Saints fans. That now comes with the territory when you have a rich history of winning titles, particularly in the Super League era. 

The job description is to win. You can do it ugly like Kristian Woolf and Daniel Anderson did - but you have to do it. Fans' social media meltdowns will still happen but he should get some leeway from his employers.  They should be acutely aware that something of a rebuild is needed and for that you need time. He must be given that time even if Mike Rush is on podcasts complaining about outside noise.

With the top job sorted what of the rest of the coaching team? Lee Briers' attacking input has been difficult to discern. That's disappointing given how he made big improvements at both Wigan and Brisbane Broncos before coming home to St Helens. Some say Wellens wouldn't allow him to release what is now annoyingly known as the handbrake while others see Briers as having failed to make an impact. During the announcement of his arrival Rowley alluded to making changes to the attack which may hint that he'll want control of it himself.

He also highlighted the strength of Saints' defence and acknowledged the platform that it has given him on which to build. Only Hull KR and Leeds Rhinos conceded fewer points than Saints in the regular season. That kept them in games even as the attack stuttered and - occasionally - came to a total standstill. 

Eamon O'Carroll deserves great credit for this but it might not be a guarantee of extending his time with the club should Rowley want to bring his own backroom team in. The recent appointment of his long time Salford assistant Kurt Haggerty as Head Coach at Bradford Bulls perhaps makes a full backroom overhaul less likely. 

Recruitment will be key. Twelve players have left the club, some of whom will need replacing. Shane Wright and Deon Cross arrived during 2025 and will know Rowley well from their time at Salford. Aside from that South Sydney Rabbitohs back rower Jacob Host is the only new addition. There has to be more. Rush's assertion that he would like 75% of the squad to be home grown academy products is not realistic if you also want to challenge for the major honours. 

Give us your thoughts on the appointment of Rowley. Can he rebuild effectively and get Saints back to the summit of Super League? Or would you have preferred an alternative? If so, let us know who you think could have been appointed.

Five Saints Is No Jake - England Ashes Squad Analysis

Just when you thought the rugby league season was all over and you had seen quite enough of your team getting schooled for their inadequacies along comes an Ashes series. 

England Coach Shaun Wane has selected a 24-man squad for the three Test series which starts at Wembley on October 25 before taking in stops at Everton’s Hil Dickinson Stadium on November 1 and Headingley on November 8.

This being a Saints-focused blog we will start with the news that five of your Saintly heroes are included in Wane’s selection.  Well, five if you still class Morgan Knowles as a Saints player.  Knowles and Jack Welsby are a given but there are also places for Daryl Clark, Matty Lees and Alex Walmsley. 

Mark Percival’s exclusion might surprise or disappoint some Saints fans but it is hard to make a case for him.  Even if he is fit, which he blatantly isn’t.  Even a fully fit Percival would struggle to hold down a place ahead of blubbing sore loser Harry Newman or Burnley-born NRL Dolphin Herbie Farnworth.  

Percival’s best years are sadly in the rear view mirror thanks to his use as a battering ram over the last few years.  Also, he can’t pass to his left, so there’s that.  Scientists have yet to get to the bottom of the reasons why he was rarely used on the right by successive Saints coaches.

Harry Robertson is arguably closer than Percival right now.  The youngster has been playing at centre in Paul Wellens’ regime but many wise observers believe that his best position is at stand-off.  He faces stiff competition to get into the England side in that role with the likes of Mikey Lewis and George Williams in front of him. But surely his time is coming. 

In any case the inclusion of Saints’ current centre duo would have been overkill.  It's fairly remarkable that a side as ordinary as Saints have been in 2025 can supply as many as five players for the national team. It suggests that Wellens presided over a team that was significantly less than the sum of its parts.  And yet there were still those who wanted the club to give the former fullback another deal. 

Based on their own merits you wouldn’t begrudge any of Saints’ quintet a place in the 24 but their quality has not translated to on field success under Wellens.  Stodgy, tedious tactics, eccentric halfback selections and head scratching substitutions have all added up to make Saints a relative also ran this term.  And to a sharp exit for Wellens. 

Wane will be hoping that he can use these players to a little greater effect.  It is one thing having them look good against Salford and Castleford but the Kangaroos play a different sport to the likes of those clubs. 

That said it wouldn’t be a massive surprise if the starting front row was all Saints in the shape of Walmsley, Clark and Lees. Leigh’s Owen Trout and Wakefield’s Mike McMeeken look best placed to force their way in at prop with Litten very arguably a better option than 2014’s Clark. 

When you consider that Grand Finalists Hull KR and Wigan and third placed Leeds Rhinos provide only three each you might think Wane has become hypersensitive about suggestions that he would favour players from his former club.  Sean O’Loughlin would have been a late withdrawal anyway but Liam Marshall, Luke Thompson and Sam Walters can consider themselves pretty unfortunate.  Not so much Liam Farrell or Tyler Dupree.

My own affection for Thompson ended with Paycutgate and his subsequent scoot to Canterbury. But are we really saying that he’s not preferable to clubmate Ethan Havard or Leeds Rhinos’ Mikolaj Oledzki? And would the young, dynamic Walters not have been a better bet than veteran grub John Bateman or the once great centre and now slightly plodding back rower Kallum Watkins? And if not Walters then Junior Nsemba or Canberra Raiders star Matty Nicholson.

Champions Rovers have proven that they are the best team in 2025 three times over by winning every trophy available to them.  Yet they can only muster Joe Burgess, Mikey Lewis and Jez Litten in Wane’s selection.  No place for Dean Hadley, Oliver Gildart, Tom Davies or even Elliot Minchella. Likewise Leeds who provide only Newman, Oledzki and Watkins. 

There is the usual smattering of NRL based players. Unfortunately Victor Radley ruled himself out of contention following allegations of drug use. But Morgan Smithies was part of the Canberra team which finished top of the pile in the NRL regular season, while Kai Pearce-Paul is another ex-Wiganer who has become a regular in Australia.  

AJ Brimson might be a standout in a decidedly average Gold Coast Titans side but looks to be only versatile cover here. Perhaps Wane is worried about Jack Welsby’s fitness. The Saints fullback returned to action several weeks earlier than expected but didn’t ever really look at full throttle.

Dominic Young has been in the NRL since 2021 but his move to Sydney Roosters wasn’t a high point.  He was marched back to his former club Newcastle Knights earlier this year amid doubts about his ability to read the game defensively.  

Finally there is 32 year-old North Queensland Cowboys man Bateman.  He has plenty of experience but his career is winding down and there were more dynamic options available to Wane such as James McDonnell of the Rhinos, Nsemba or Nicholson.  

Bateman has to be among the most contentious selection although much of the attention has been on the omission of Jake Connor. The Leeds half is this year’s Steve Prescott Man Of Steel. In claiming that he did not care about the award and didn’t know how it was picked Wane showed fairly hefty disrespect. 

He also made himself look a bit silly and did so further by revealing that he didn’t know who was in this year’s Super League Dream Team. As an England coach you can choose to be influenced by these things or not. But showing ignorance of them is bad optics. Norra Good Luke, Shaun.

When you look at Wane’s squad any feint optimism you may have had may evaporate. It doesn’t look a match for the Kangaroos’ pack whoever you select. And if you lose that battle the quality of your back line can become an irrelevance. So too might Wane if he can’t at least keep the games competitive. 

Oh and do a bit of homework on UK rugby league awards just to help with the PR…

Wellens Out - Club Legend Completes His Final Set

With an air of inevitability it has finally been announced that Paul Wellens is to leave his role as Saints Head Coach. 

Even the man himself will have experienced little or no surprise at a decision which was arguably long overdue. And while the majority of fans have been calling for his departure it is one which is still tinged with sadness. For all his coaching shortcomings - which we’ll get to - Wellens remains a club legend. Just like his former teammate Keiron Cunningham before him a stellar playing career cannot be erased by an uninspiring spell in charge. 

If Wellens had lost every single game he had in charge it would not change the fact that he is a true great of the game. In nearly 500 appearances for Saints he won five Super League Grand Finals, five Challenge Cups and two World Club Challenges. Throw in the 2006 Man of Steel Award and two Lance Todd Trophies for Man Of The Match performances in the Challenge Cup finals of 2007 and 2008 and that’s quite a roll of honour. On top of that only four men have scored more than his 199 tries in Super League. His playing legacy is untouchable.

His playing days came to an end in 2015 after 17 years as a one club man. A persistent hip injury cut his final season short and ultimately led to his retirement. Since then he has been a fixture of the Saints coaching team. First as player performance coach under Cunningham before graduating to assistant coach under Kristian Woolf as Saints won an unprecedented four Super League Grand Finals in a row between 2019-22. 

When Woolf left for the new Dolphins franchise in the NRL at the end of 2022 many - including Saints CEO Mike Rush and Chairman and owner Eamonn McManus - saw Wellens as a natural successor. He already knew the club, its players and the system. Perfect, right? Well, you could have said the same about Cunningham and look how that turned out.

Wellens’ best moment as Saints boss came early. In his first competitive game in charge he oversaw an epic 13-12 victory over Penrith Panthers in their own stadium. It sealed a third world championship for Saints and gave us every reason to believe that the success enjoyed under Woolf could continue.

Yet in many ways it was Wellens’ dogged determination to stick with Woolf’s tactics which eventually brought about his undoing. That and - if we’re honest - a failure by those above him to understand that Woolf’s squad needed new blood. Recruitment since Woolf’s departure has been positively ghastly, while loyalty to fading stars has slowly eroded efficiency.

At times it has felt like the club has been asleep at the wheel during Wellens’ tenure. Resting on their collective laurels after those four dominant seasons under first Holbrook and then Woolf. The likes of Sione Mata’utia, Tommy Makinson, Regan Grace and even James Roby have not been replaced with anything close to the same quality. 

Meanwhile Konrad Hurrell has been allowed to hang around collecting his not insignificant salary despite playing on loan at other clubs and having represented Saints only once since June of last year. And that was against part timers West Hull in the Challenge Cup in February.

In some cases the replacements have been good but not great. And you can’t be expected to hit the mark with every signing you make. Matt Whitley is a totally different beast to Mata’utia while Kyle Feldt - initially viewed as a like for like replacement for Makinson right down to his age - has not offered the strong carries out of his own end that were a trademark of both the Makinson and the Woolf approach.

It wasn’t until the end of May that Saints signed a replacement for Hurrell. Deon Cross was brought in from crisis hit Salford. Cross is a good player and may have been a target previously. But his eventual arrival felt like opportunism born out of desperation rather than a well thought out plan. Dire need seemed to provoke it as Saints had previously had to use the likes of Dayon Sambou and Johnny Vaughan in badly patched up three-quarter lines. 

Even by season’s end Cross was largely utilised as a winger as Harry Robertson continued at centre. As well as the youngster has played there it doesn’t feel like his best position. A key weakness of Wellens was arguably his reluctance to trust youth in the halves. He preferred the creaking Jonny Lomax and the vanilla Moses Mbye to the prospect of Robertson alongside the emerging talent of George Whitby.

Whatever the personnel if you can’t deliver dominance and trophies as Saints coach then you’d better bring entertainment. Wellens demonstrably failed to do that through three joyless seasons. Dynamism in the attack was taboo as he persisted with the idea that set completion was all important. His post game blatherings were littered with accusations that his team had been impatient or had ‘tried to score on every play’ whenever a ball hit the ground.

Yet this is an illusion. Saints played five drives and a kick, conservative rugby as Woolf’s team had. The difference is that this team did it more slowly and still made as many mistakes as they might have done had they adopted a more expansive, offload happy style. 

The early signs are that there is an air of relief among the fans now that the decision has been made.  Previously there had been increasing hysteria on social media with every disappointing result. One of the biggest and not unfair complaints was about Saints’ inability to beat top three teams under Wellens’ tutelage. 

This season’s top three after the regular season were Hull KR, Wigan and Leigh. Saints have not beaten Rovers or Wigan since Easter 2024 and have yet to win at Leigh since the rebranded Leopards returned to the top flight in 2023. That kind of form is a source of embarrassment to over-emotional fans in the immediate aftermath of another loss. In cold light of day analysis it’s way short of what’s required to stay in the Head Coach role.

Of course the one thing that fans - myself amongst them - don’t always think through is what comes next if you remove the man in charge. At the time of writing there has been no announcement about a successor. If that is yet to be determined then perhaps the club were wise to stick with Wellens until the end of the season. 

The Super League format ensures opportunity remains even in a bad year. As long as you’re not bad enough to slip out of the top six. Would removing Wellens without an instant replacement - while still in with a chance of reaching the Grand Final however unlikely - have been the right thing to do? 

Breaking ties now gives the club time to make the right appointment and - if they do so promptly - gives the new boss time to consult on recruitment, implement their ideas and work on transmitting them to the players. The obvious problem is that it might be too late to act on recruitment with other clubs with more stable coaching situations having already made moves. Saints’ acquisitions of Shane Wright - more opportunism in place of genuine desire - and South Sydney Rabbitohs Jacob Host are not seen as massive improvements. Especially when you’re losing Morgan Knowles to Woolf’s Dolphins.

If recruitment of players is problematic there isn’t a massive list of possible coaching replacements being bandied about in the immediate aftermath of Wellens’ departure. So far only Salford Red Devils’ ex-Leigh coach Paul Rowley and former Saints prop and current North Queensland Cowboys assistant David Fairleigh stand out. His 2001 stint with Saints was a memorable one. His name comes up in any discussion of the best Saints front rowers of the Super League era. 

As a coach he has also assisted at NRL heavyweights Penrith Panthers and at New Zealand Warriors and Newcastle Knights. But his only Head Coaching experience is a five-year stint in charge of Cook Islands whom he led to their first ever victory in a World Cup game against Wales in 2013. It maybe sounds trite but expectations are somewhat higher in St Helens.

Meanwhile Rowley has worked relative miracles at Salford in recent years. Before this year’s financial meltdown made his job impossible he twice led the previously unfancied Red Devils to the playoffs. That came after twice winning the Championship with Leigh and also a stint with Toronto Wolfpack at the beginning of their rise through the lower leagues to Super League. 

My own preference would be for Rowley. That despite the fact that Fairlegh would get the drinks in if I bumped into him in town. My logic here is that this is probably not going to be a quick fix. Because of the age profile of the squad - a mix of talented youngsters on the up and decorated stars in obvious decline - it may take a few years to get the team back to where we would like it to be. An Australian NRL guy like Fairleigh might not stick around long enough to see the job through. Whereas Rowley - who hails from Leigh and has never played or coached in the NRL - might be someone who can offer real stability. Longevity even.

Despite the problems the new man will still have plenty to work with. In the likes of Robertson, Whitby, Jack Welsby and Owen Dagnall Saints have some serious home grown talent. Nurturing that and adding to it with smart outside acquisitions is the key. You need that blend. Rush’s assertion that 75-80% of the team should be homegrown feels overly ambitious at best. Penny pinching at worst. Not every academy product will be good enough to stick around. See Jon Bennison, Ben Davies, Sam Royle. 

Wellens leaves with our thanks for his efforts and - to my mind - his legacy very much intact. I would hate to see a repeat of we saw with Cunningham. The vitriol he received was one thing but the amnesia regarding his playing career and his overall contribution to the club was unforgivably tone deaf. 

Attitudes towards him are only just mellowing. This cannot happen again especially since so many fans ignored the Cunningham experience in calling for Wellens to be appointed in the first place. The lessons learned there will probably rule Lee Briers out of contention for the role. One day perhaps, when he has proven his Head Coaching chops.

For Wellens maybe a period of reflection before returning to the game elsewhere. Don’t forget he has never been a part of any other professional club. 

For Saints the hard work - and the rebuild - must start now.