Warrington Wolves 24 Saints 14 - Relax, It's A Journey

Sometimes a journey is further and more arduous than you thought it would be. 

The Paul Rowley era started with a revealing defeat as Saints went down 24-14 at Warrington. It was the eighth consecutive time Saints have lost to the Wolves. And the scoreline makes it look closer than it really was. 

Saints are entering a new phase following the unappetising gruel of the Paul Wellens era. Rowley's arrival as head coach promises a better experience watching Saints as well as an improvement on last season's sixth placed finish and semi-final playoff loss. But it hasn't delivered immediately.

The damage was done by half-time. Saints were undone by the most glaring absence in their own make-up over the last few seasons, raw pace. Specifically that of young Wolves fullback Cai Taylor-Wray. If we thought the departure of Matt Dufty was going to blunt the Warrington attack we were mistaken.

Taylor-Wray is still a teenager for another 9 days. He nevertheless announced himself with a mesmeric try. Wire had already taken the lead through Toby King by then. But it was the sight of the Wolves youngster easing away from Jack Welsby as he crossed the line which really sounded the alarm. The way the middle of the defence buckled to allow Danny Walker to create the space for Taylor-Wray was jarring also.

It was certainly different. For all the criticism of Wellens his team remained defensively solid. They conceded less than 12 points per game in Super League in 2025. Here, they were 18-0 down by the interval. Albert Hopoate added a third Warrington score as the Saints left edge defence was exposed again by initial weakness in the middle.

The absence of newly appointed skipper Matty Lees didn't help. He's one of the best defensive players in the league. He sets the tone, leads the way in line speed and is not often bumped off like too many on this night. Watching the chaos unfold didn't quite leave you longing for the return of Wellens, but it was a reminder that attempting to play more expansively doesn't remove defensive responsibility.

Saints' porous defence didn't always deny them attacking opportunities. They had a reasonable amount of ball in attacking areas. Yet even with Jackson Hastings pulling the strings in his first Super League game for the club the echoes of Welloball remained. He ran for 111 metres in the game which might be considered a plus for a running half. But it could also serve as evidence that he held on to the ball for too long, too often. He's not quick enough to be considered a running half.

His job as a rounded halfback is to get the ball to the really destructive runners in space. Another Super League debutant - Nene McDonald - was on the fringes of the game throughout. As was Harry Robertson. The centre pairing are quicker than the wing duo of Kyle Feldt and Deon Cross. Meanwhile alongside Hastings at stand-off was last season's lightning rod Tristan Sailor.

The ex-Brisbane man was mostly anonymous. The two halves linked up superbly for a second half try as Sailor athletically out-jumped Taylor-Wray and company to catch and ground Hastings' skyscraper. But they seemed on different wavelengths a lot of the time with Sailor unable to impose himself. Sailor has been largely accepted in the 6 jersey by the fans because of the faith in Rowley. But the grumbling could resurface after this tepid display.

Saints were quite a lot better as the game wore on, the early onslaught having subsided. They couldn't have been much worse than in that opening half hour. In improving they may even have threatened a comeback had Welsby's effort not been disallowed by the video referee for an obstruction by David Klemmer early in the second half.

In truth a win probably would not have been deserved. But none of that changes the fact that you could make the argument that Warrington back rower Kelepi Tanginoa made a move towards tackling Klemmer. The ex-Newcastle Knights man was not in possession of anything resembling a rugby ball. If you can make that case then video referee Chris Kendall probably has no business overturning referee Liam Moore's on field decision of a try. On such things games often swing.

But nor should Kendall have intervened when Hopoate serenely stepped around Cross to score late in the second half. George Williams picked up a loose ball and set off towards the Saints line. The cover got to him so he found Hopoate to do the rest. Yet the try was disallowed. Kendall ruled that Matt Whitley had been tackled before he had taken possession. It was what is known in the NFL as a bang-bang play. Not the sort of debatable call that technology should be getting involved in.

There's been a change in the video review process for 2026. And not a very welcome one. Previously if the referee deemed a review necessary he would not point to award the try. He would instead make the signal that Sky commentator Dave Woods seems mercifully to have stopped referring to as the square in the air, then wait for the official in the booth to make the decision.

No longer. Now the referee points for the try and everyone acts like it will stand and prepares for the conversion. But in the background the nefarious forces of forensic nit-picking are busy looking for reasons to halt the celebrations. So, as in football these days it is possible to score and celebrate before having your joy or despair taken away after the fact. 

It's an abomination which has come over from the NRL. As that is universally accepted as the greatest league in the world we must always do as they do. It's not possible that they might have had a bad idea. Not even signing Lewis Dodd. It's been quite illuminating watching devoted NRL fans, who previously explained how much better this system is, changing their minds when it is applied in their team's game. When they are in the stands not knowing what the proverbial is going on.

The video referee verdict - if not the process - was more justifiable when Alex Walmsley's effort was ruled out for a double movement. Still no points but if all of the boring coaches who insist it is enough to spend time near your opponents' line are right then Saints were on to something. 

They finally got on the board through Welsby, but at some cost. The fullback dummied his way through a sleepy Wire defence to beat Taylor-Wray and score in the left hand corner. Yet on this night even when things went right, they went wrong. Welsby dislocated his shoulder in the landing as he dived over. 

Rowley later reported that Welsby had gone to hospital because the medical team were having trouble putting the offending joint back in place. There was still a quarter of this game left but you couldn't help but think about what that might mean for Welsby in next week's home opener with Leigh. And maybe beyond.

In the immediate aftermath Welsby's departure didn't halt Saints' momentum. Sailor's acrobatic score came at the end of the next set. Hastings' only successful goal attempt of the night added to the feeling that there might be just a glimmer. From 18-0 to 18-10 and seemingly on the charge. 

It only took a few moments for whatever glimmer existed to fade. Taylor-Wray turned provider as Josh Thewlis went over in the right hand corner. A Sneyd conversion took the lead out to 24-10 and Saints returned to acceptance of their fate. Especially since Hastings hit Taylor-Wray late as the Warrington man let go of the pass. He was yellow carded by Moore. The timing meant that there was only a couple of minutes left when Hastings returned.

Captain in the absence of Lees - a penny for vice captain Welsby's thoughts on that by the way - Hastings set the kind of example which shouldn't really come as a shock. If his running was predictable and easy to control his temperament isn't. 

It was ever thus. He was seen on social media clips after the game trying to climb into the stands to settle a dispute with a fan. Like the anti-Pat Cash. Rowley has his work cut out to keep Hastings from giving in to his occasional demons. But he doesn't appear to be in Bobbie Goulding's league in that regard and Saints made that work for four years.

With the game having slipped away again Saints - who did produce one more response when Sailor put Feldt over in the last minute - were maybe not helped by the limitations of the bench. The only forwards behind starting props Klemmer and George Delaney were Walmsley and Jacob Host. Jonny Lomax almost counts.  He's currently being used as a backup nine but that's a patch up job for this year to try to compensate for a gap in the recruitment. 

As it turned out the other interchange player Owen Dagnall was called into action following Welsby's injury but skepticism around having a back on the bench remains. The obvious counter argument in this instance is that Saints didn't really have another forward to call on. None of Noah Stephens, Agnatius Paasi, Curtis Sironen or Jake Wingfield were available. Let's see which way Rowley goes with this when he has a full squad to choose from. I know. Like that's going to happen. 

A pretty miserable night to reflect upon then as the Rowley era begins. And it doesn't get any easier with the visit of the Leopards next week. Saints have struggled badly against Adrian Lam's side since their promotion to Super League in 2023. The good news is that the game is at the Brewdog - can we still call it that? - where Saints did beat Leigh in both 2023 and 2024. 

The playoff system affords protection so that early season defeats aren't fatal. They're not even a flesh wound. But Rowley will be desperate to get his first league win especially against one of his former clubs. If Welsby is out we could see Sailor tried again at fullback although mid-game at Warrington it was McDonald who switched. With Mark Percival threatening to be fit again amid rumours of a 2027 move to Huddersfield it could be an opportunity for him to slot into McDonald's centre spot. 

We're still on the journey. It just feels a step or two longer.

Warrington Wolves v Saints - A Look Ahead

You've waited all winter for this. Sure, last week's Challenge Cup annihilation of Workington Town was fun, but after some underwhelming showings under Paul Wellens in recent years you can't wait for the Super League action to get started.

There is renewed optimism with the appointment of Paul Rowley as head coach to replace the departed Wellens. After three seasons of Woolfball-lite we are longing to be entertained. Who doesn't want to come home from a game - win or lose - thinking that they've had their money's worth? And maybe even looking forward to the next game. I can remember when that's what watching Saints was all about.

Not that I'm advocating a return to recklessness with a total disregard for outcome. We want to win. Wellens' departure was as much about the results as it was about the five drives and a kick tedium his team served up. It was modelled on Woolf's style which had been outrageously successful. But if you employ conservatism and don't win in St Helens you are unsubtly invited to leave. Club legend or not.

Providing the first test of the Rowley era are Warrington Wolves. The level of underachievement in the league by Sam Burgess' men in 2025 was even more stark and obvious than what was going on at Saints. Though uninspiring and pathologically incapable of beating a top three side in 2025 Saints did at least scrape into the playoffs. They even made an imprint with the 'Right To Wright' try that made Harry Newman cry as Leeds crashed out. It's somewhat ironic that the last play of the Wellens era was a post buzzer, 16-pass miracle. 

Meanwhile Warrington finished eighth, but that's only half the story. They were fully 10 points adrift of Wakefield Trinity who occupied the sixth and final playoff spot. Yet as Wellens was thanked and sent on his way Burgess remains. He's also been linked with NRL clubs and the England head coaching job after Shaun Wane jumped before he was not so much pushed as catapulted through the RFL door. It's amazing what perceived charisma can achieve but I suspect it might only work at a club that has got used to not winning titles. They haven't won one since 1955. 

Their journey to the Challenge Cup final, were they were agonisingly (amusingly?) beaten by Hull KR in the final moments might just have been enough to keep faith with Burgess. That and the media attention he still attracts having crossed the divide to play in the Rugby Union World Cup a decade ago. 

We got a glimpse of what a Rowley side looks like in the 98-2 shellacking of the Cumbrians last time out. Saints were the anti-Wellens, the anti-Woolf in fact. The level of opposition might have been influential but risk taking was encouraged. 

Saints ran in 17 tries and many of the movements began with Jack Welsby fielding a kick near his own line and then slinging a ball half the width of the pitch to bring other skill players into play. For the last six years a Saints fullback in a similar position has been compelled to pass to the nearest player who has proceeded to run at the defensive line with no thought to anything but set completion.

Yet Warrington, troubled though they may be, are no Workington. Realistically Town are two leagues below Saints. Nominally they are in the second tier Championship but only because one of the crackpot outcomes of Nigel Wood and the cartel of club owners wresting back control from IMG is the merger of the Championship and League One.

With that in mind there might be a slight adjustment of the gameplan, even from Rowley. Hopefully Saints will look to play expansively when the opportunity presents itself but they're unlikely to abandon all thoughts of game management completely. There's still a sense that against a well matched opponent like Warrington that the right to play needs to be earned. 

Otherwise there is risk which just wasn't there against Workington when Saints knew that if a handling error occurred there would be another opportunity to build an attack soon. There must be smart decision making and a healthy respect for Warrington. We can snigger at their constant inability to win the title but this is a side which for all its troubles beat Saints three times in 2025 including a Challenge Cup quarter-final. They have pace and they play an attacking brand of rugby. They shouldn't be afforded cheap possessions and opportunity.

It doesn't help Rowley that he has already lost his new captain for a significant period. Matty Lees was given the armband - interestingly replacing the still present Jonny Lomax - but suffered a medial ligament injury at Derwent Park. Lees doesn't need surgery but is expected to be out for at least a couple of months. As vice captain and permanent on-field presence Welsby should take over. But the loss of Lees will be more keenly felt in Saints' front row department.

Rowley doesn't have a like for like replacement to bring into the fold. Noah Stephens is out as are Agnatius Paasi and Jake Wingfield. Though how much either would add were they fit is something fans have long since started to question. 

A lot will depend on how David Klemmer settles in having come over from Newcastle Knights in the NRL. Alex Walmsley's minutes were reducing under Wellens. That isn't a criticism of the ex-coach. Walmsley is 36 in April. He's unlikely to be someone who Rowley will lean heavily on. 

After that there is George Delaney. There are those who hail him as another great product of the Saints academy. There are others - like this observer - who can't help but notice that though he runs hard he invariably stops dead as soon as he makes contact with anything resembling a defender. One of the areas of concern coming into 2026 is around who exactly is going to get us down the field so the new look back division can prosper.

Which brings me on to the guys whose job it is to see that Rowley's promise of a more expansive style pays dividends. Mark Percival is currently injured but the signing of Nene McDonald from Salford is exciting enough to stop many from worrying about reports that Percival could leave the club. Those rumours appear to have been dampened - at least until he sees out this final year of his contract - but when he returns It's no longer a no brainer to select him. 

If McDonald provides the performances that he is capable of consistently he has to play. Meanwhile dropping Harry Robertson to make way for Percival would be regressive. With Deon Cross and Owen Dagnall around suddenly there's depth in a position that not so long ago was pressing back rowers like Matt Whitley, Sione Mata'utia and even Curtis Sironen into action. 

So there is firepower available. But guns need loading, highlighting how important it was to improve the halfback options this term. Lomax no longer looks like a Super League halfback. Judging by the team selection at Workington he is more likely to be used as a back up nine to Daryl Clark. Having been lucky enough to home two all time greats of the position for the last 30 years in Keiron Cunningham and James Roby Saints suddenly have a bare cupboard. Lomax would offer good distribution and defensive nous. None of which will be welcome news to Jake Burns. 

George Whitby established himself and then didn't under Wellens. The academy product played eight games in a row as Lomax's decline was brutally dealt with. Yet in the end Wellens decided to send Whitby on loan, favouring the sticking plaster that was the now departed Moses Mbye. 

We wondered whether Rowley would take the gamble of restoring Whitby. Then came the surprising addition of former Salford and Wigan man Jackson Hastings. He has never set the NRL alight since leaving Wigan but he is a former Super League Man Of Steel who will give Saints more attacking options. 

The predictability with Mbye at seven seemed almost by design. Now at least we will have a halfback who can beat teams with a run, a pass or a kick. The fans seem so excited about it that there has been relatively little griping about the decision to restore Tristan Sailor to the stand off role. Or maybe it's the excitement of the appointment of Rowley that has quietened that grumbling. Rowley has credit in the bank. His time at Salford saw him have relative success with an enjoyable vibe.

You might be wondering how Warrington shape up coming in to this one. Know your enemy. There have been some key departures. Matt Dufty, Roderick Tai and Lachlan Fitzgibbon are back in Australia while prop Paul Vaughan has joined the project at newly promoted York Knights. 

In have come Toff Sipley - a prop with almost 100 appearances for Manly Sea Eagles, ex-Wigan plodder Liam Byrne as well as Albert Hopoate. The latter is a centre or winger signed from Canberra Raiders. He's the brother of former Saint Will Hopoate and the major addition to a back division that will still be without the prolific Matty Ashton as he continues his recovery from an ACL. 

George Williams has announced his intention to leave the club at the end of the season. Yet for now he remains to partner Marc Sneyd in what ought to be one of the best halfback pairings anywhere. It showed early promise in 2025 but couldn't fully compensate for the injuries to Ashton and others in the backs. On a sad note centre Connor Wrench has retired at age 23 having suffered two ACL injuries in recent seasons.

Last season would have hurt Warrington. Their league form was appalling as the squad struggled to cope with the injuries, and top players failed to perform. The late, late cup final loss no doubt took a psychological toll but the fans will expect better if they are to keep patience with the Burgess regime. They will provide a genuine test for Saints as they move into what will hopefully be an exciting new era.

Workington Town 2 Saints 98 - What Did We Learn?

Officially, Saints returned to competitive action on Friday night (February 6). Unofficially, a 98-2 ravaging of Workington Town was about as competitive as a goldfish racing a cheetah.

That said it's hard to get too carried away with this Challenge Cup stroll. Full time professionalism has made it all but a physical impossibility for a part time team like Town to compete with the game's elite. But that is not to say that there weren't things to enjoy and to learn from Saints' performance.

A report of a match in which Saints ran in 17 tries feels redundant. Far better to focus on the team's approach to the game under new head coach Paul Rowley and on how his new recruits fitted into his ideas. Four players in the starting 13 were on their competitive debuts for the club after an off season of much needed refreshment.

Rowley pitched all of Nene McDonald, Jackson Hastings, David Klemmer and Joe Shorrocks into the starting lineup and all were prominent in different ways. McDonald offers pace and power which this admittedly modest opposition couldn't handle. But it was Hastings who was most interesting. 

Could he solve a halfback problem that has been an issue for a long time? On first showing he looks like he might. He was involved in pretty much everything Saints did in attack and ended the night with 38 points from two tries and 15 goals. That's just two points shy of the club's individual single game points scoring record of 40 held by Paul Loughlin. Yes kids, rugby league did exist before Eddie and Stevo. 

Klemmer took Alex Walmsley's starting role. His job took on extra significance when new skipper Lees hobbled off early. He wasn't placed under undue pressure on the night but his level of responsibility goes up if Lees misses next week's Super League opener at Warrington. Shorrocks was a surprising success, showing good handling skills and intelligent decision making.  But there's no getting away from the fact that everything achieved here has to be placed in context because of the gulf in class between the sides. 

Tristan Sailor was given the stand-off role despite not convincing everyone in it last term, while Jonny Lomax was used as a bench hooker to spell Saints' only experienced specialist Daryl Clark. That positional switch could extend Lomax's career meaningfully, helping him add to his 379 appearances. 

Wellens did not experiment with this last year when it was becoming abundantly clear that Lomax's days as a Super League halfback were in the rear view mirror. The worry is the wear and tear on the body given that he's had so many injuries over the years. But if Rowley uses him sparingly in the hooking role it might just work. 

His distribution is elite when compared to the other nines in the league and he's always been an outstanding defender. Frankly, we had better hope that it does work because outside of the hitherto unconvincing Jake Burns there isn't an obvious back up to Daryl Clark in this squad. 

The most common gripe during the Wellens years was around the style of play. The appointment of Rowley has brought optimism that we will see something more expansive this year. We certainly got that in this one. There was a willingness - an urgency even - to shift the ball wider no matter where on the field the set of possession began. Time and time again that brought dividends as Workington found Saints too quick and strong. 

The question I have is whether we'll see that kind of open rugby against Super League sides. At Workington it felt like the team were not so concerned about making a mistake, even in their own territory. They were rightly confident that their defence would cope if the ball was turned over cheaply. I'm not sure they will be as keen to risk putting themselves in taxing defensive situations against teams at the highest level. 

Saints have had one of the best defences in Super League for a while now but even their dam will break if they offer good sides too many opportunities. One of the more compelling elements of the start of the league campaign is in finding out if Rowley can find the right balance to succeed and - just as importantly for many including me - entertain.

But optimism should remain. Saints did exactly what was expected of them and won the game with ease. Only the fact that the defence and game management skills weren't tested leave nagging doubts about how well 2026 will go. Saints' only other pre season game was Lees' testimonial against Castleford Tigers. But they're not exactly elite either so hardly provided a rugged examination of those traits. It's the top three sides that Saints need to relearn how to compete with after Wellens' tenure, and for that they'll need resilience and intelligence on a level not required in Cumbria.

The Lees injury might be a problem given the current absence of Noah Stephens and the restricted minutes given to Walmsley in his twilight years. It could make the contribution of George Delaney more important. But overall Saints look in good shape to address what was an appalling record against Sam Burgess' Wolves in 2025. Wire beat Saints three times last season, ending their Challenge Cup hopes in the process. 

Those dreams remain alive for 2026 but much stiffer tests are lurking before thoughts can turn towards another Wembley day out.

Strategy Or Sentiment: Is Percy On The Move?

With just a week to go until the start of the Super League season there's been a late surprise in Saints' squad planning for 2026 and beyond. 

Mark Percival - a Saints academy product who has been a fixture of the first team for almost 13 years - could be heading for the exit. A Love Rugby League 'exclusive' suggests that a two-year contract offered to him by the club has been withdrawn. The report also states that he has been 'made available to other clubs immediately'.

It's not totally clear whether the contract offer was an extension of his current deal which expires at the end of this season, or whether it would have started in 2027 and kept him at the club until the end of 2028 when he will be 34. The club has yet to comment at the time of writing, further muddying the waters.

So let's take it at face value and assume that Percival will depart. As popular as he has been over the years the question of whether to move on from him or not is still a divisive one among the fan base. This is a player who has made 274 appearances in the red vee and has been a part of five Super League Grand Final winning squads. Twenty-five of those 274 appearances were starts in 2025. This calls into question the time honoured grumble that you'll never get a full season out of him.

And yet for all that I can see the logic in letting him go. He might have been on the field a lot last season - and in 2024 when he made 21 appearances - but that isn't the same as being effective. Peak Percival - using his pace and strength to lay waste to opposition defences - has been an idea and not a reality for some time now. 

His body has been pummelled by the constant requirement to run the ball in at a set defensive line early in the tackle count. He might as well have been playing second row as opposed to centre, so scarce were his opportunities to find space to run into. A lot of that is tactical as successive coaches have all but abandoned the concept of expansive rugby. 

Wherever you want to lay the blame he just isn't the same player. With the arrival of Nene McDonald to add to existing centre options Deon Cross and Harry Robertson it just might make sense to free up Percival's cap space for greater need. Like hooker, where cover is thin. Soon to be 33-year-old Daryl Clark is Saints' only reliable option. A club which had two of the all-time greats at 9 spanning a 30-year period now finds itself short in that department.

Social media is in overdrive in reaction to online suggestions that a two-year contract had been offered to Percival and then withdrawn. Love Rugby League's piece states only that discussions had been held about a new deal which would have taken the former England international past the end of his current agreement. It then hedges its bets rather by suggesting that it is 'believed' that such a deal is no longer an option. Wherever the truth sits, failure to come to an agreement in discussions is not the same as offering a contract and then withdrawing it. But when did social media users ever wait for clarity?

From the club's point of view the decision to let Percival go - if it transpires - is strategic and not personal. The timing is off just a week before the season opener at Warrington on February 13 but it should be remembered that Saints have a new head coach who may still be formulating his long term plans. Perhaps Paul Rowley has seen something in pre season training that has swayed his thinking. 

Despite most fans calling for him to do so, it doesn't look as though Rowley will opt to move Robertson to six any time soon. This might surprise anyone who saw him weave through the Leeds Rhinos defence in the build up to Shane Wight's 'shite to Wright' playoff miracle at Headingley in September. Or any number of occasions on which Robertson's ball skills and elusiveness have been apparent. 

As it is it leaves the youngster to continue his outstanding development at centre. In turn that could have left Percival surplus to requirements with McDonald and Cross also vying for game time. Owen Dagnall is another centre option even if his breakout games so far have been as a winger. His future could be at centre with 31-year-old McDonald currently something of a stop gap.  If Percival isn't needed then sentiment should not insist on him.

If there is a chase on for Percival's services then online rumour has it that Leigh and Warrington are leading it. There's a good argument against strengthening a potential playoff rival. Yet ultimately there's a better argument for making the right choice for your own needs. You can't always control where players end up if you decide to cut them loose. 

If one of those or any other Super League club snaps Percival up they will be getting a hugely experienced, highly decorated performer who might be more of a threat in a team with a more expansive gameplan. He's also still a pretty good defender. Just don't ask him to consider the wishes of his winger if he does find himself in open space. It would be a wrench for him to leave Saints I'm sure but it could also be the reset that the latter part of his career needs. 

What are your thoughts on the situation? Do you think a move will happen? If it does, will it prove to be a bold but correct decision by Rowley or an absolute disaster? Or somewhere in between. Only a Sith deals in absolutes, after all. Tee off in the comments.