WITH most Super League sides having completed their recruitment for the 2023 season, eyes are firmly fixed on retention going forward.
Of course, there will still be little bits of business to be completed but one of those sides to potentially have a large turnover at the end of 2022 is St Helens.
11 players are out of contract with a huge amount of class included as Paul Wellens takes charge of his first season in Super League as a head coach.
Those 11 are: James Bell, Matty Foster, Will Hopoate, Konrad Hurrell, Sione Mata’utia, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Dan Norman, James Roby, Sam Royle, Curtis Sironen (though the club does hold an option of a further year), Jake Wingfield.
Of course, Roby and McCarthy-Scarsbrook are likely heading towards retirement and so will be unlikely to leave the club.
There are a number of younger players that would also be free to move at the end of 2023 such as Jumah Sambou and Lewis Baxter who will be looking to make a breakthrough into the Saints squad under Wellens.
Those listed above pose a number of questions for Wellens, with Saints facing the possibility of breaking up yet another title-winning side.
Of course, under Kristian Woolf, the Merseyside club lost the likes of Lachlan Coote, Kevin Naiqama and Theo Fages with the likes of Lewis Dodd and Morgan Knowles given improved deals.
Bell has impressed since moving from the Leigh Leopards with Sione Mata’utia, Konrad Hurrell and Curtis Sironen playing key roles for Saints since moving. There is also an option in favour of Saints to extend Sironen’s deal as was mentioned when he put pen to paper on a new contract.
Meanwhile, Hopoate suffered a lot from injury in 2022 and will be hoping to put that behind him in the hopes of earning a new deal whilst youngsters Foster, Royle and Wingfield will be aiming for first-team rugby to impress Wellens.
You can’t keep them all due to the constraints of the £2.1 million salary cap and the improved deals for younger players, but back Saints to continue being the champion side that they are.