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2025 Season Review: St Helens

6 hrs

Former, former champions, St Helens, are still searching for an attacking formula.

There might have been frustrations during the course of campaign, but for one glorious minute at Leeds in the Play-Offs, St Helens produced a moment that will live long in the Betfred Super League memory banks.

Given one final play to rescue their knock-out game against the Rhinos, Saints offered a glimpse into their great sides of the past as they moved the ball first to the right flank, and then thrillingly back to the left, where Australian second row Shane Wright added the finishing touch to an unforgettable score.

Coach Paul Wellens’ reaction said it all - delight at the sheer brilliance of his team’s try, but also perhaps a feeling of justification, and no little relief, after a season of scrutiny at the club.

That comes with the territory for any coach at St Helens, but the current side’s inability to beat the competition’s top teams was becoming a worrying pattern.

Ultimately their season ended the following week at League Leaders Hull KR, but perhaps that highlight at Headingley will yet provide a springboard to return to trophy winning ways.

The campaign started promisingly enough and saw Saints dump Leeds out of the Challenge Cup, but an exit in the following round to Warrington followed by three straight defeats sucked some of the optimism out of the season.

Five consecutive wins in June and July - including twice beating Leeds and only conceding three tries in total across those games - re-ignited it, and after beating Hull FC in late August, Wellens’ side were briefly second.

They were tough to score tries against all season - on no fewer than 14 occasions in all competitions Saints conceded single-figure scores to the opposition.

But in attack they rarely clicked fully despite the array of talent in their squad.

Jack Welsby and Tristan Sailor both provided glimpses of becoming a devastating combination, but fitting those two natural full-backs into an often changing spine often proved difficult.

New signing Kyle Feldt finished as top try scorer while Alex Walmsley and Matty Lees led the side up front and hooker Daryl Clark proved one of his side’s most dangerous attacking threats for much of the year.

Kyle Feldt's try scoring form continues ?#SuperLeague pic.twitter.com/6OwZ08wJTB
— Betfred Super League (@SuperLeague) July 5, 2025

Morgan Knowles was outstanding in his final season at the club before heading to the NRL, with Mark Percival and Mose Mbye playing their part.

Most promisingly there was a whole cluster of exciting young players who made significant impacts, headed by outstanding three-quarter Harry Robertson.

George Delaney continued his front row development, George Whitby looks a real find at half-back and winger Owen Darnell was in superb form before injury brought and end to his season.

Saints will be hoping that they and others form key parts of the club’s future, and thrilling Play-Off wins again become the norm at the club.

Key Man

Veteran Alex Walmsley is one of the most experienced front rowers in Super League. He made a monstrous 3,135 metres in 2025, the most of any forward in the competition.

Rising Star

Versatile Harry Robertson looks the pick of Saints’ next crop of highly talented young players.

Season Highlight

It can only be Shane Wright’s finish to a jawdropping try at Leeds which had echoes of the famous ‘Wide to West’ score 25 years earlier.

Wide to Wright ?

One of the greatest tries you'll ever witness in #SuperLeague Play-Off history ?

Take a bow, @Saints1890 ? pic.twitter.com/BjNGu4BHRq
— Betfred Super League (@SuperLeague) September 27, 2025