FOR the past two decades, St Helens have built their team around one man in particular – James Roby.
With the wily hooker an ever-present at the Merseyside club in the 2000s, 2010s and now the 2020s, he is set to bow out at the end of the 2023 Super League season.
For that, he has no regrets, but it also means that Saints are on the lookout for a new number nine.
In recent days, that has seen the reigning champions linked with Warrington Wolves hooker Daryl Clark, with Saints boss Paul Wellens addressing the speculation in his pre-match press conference.
“There’s been no secret to the fact that James Roby is retiring and we’re on the lookout for a replacement,” Wellens said in his pre-match press conference.
“Obviously, we’ve already got Joey Lussick here as well who is a great nine in his own right.
“We’re looking to bolster the squad, but I’m not going to comment on individual players.
“I respect that there’s a lot of talk out there and who can potentially replace James Roby, those discussions are going on behind the scenes.
“There’s a number of players out there who I admire – some we would be interested in, and others we’re not and that’s just the nature of it.
“But we are looking to improve as a squad and improve as a team in 2024, so any players who can improve us we will be interested in.”