EAMONN McMANUS has conceded St Helens have been too slow to react to a changing rugby league landscape.
Since Saints won their most recent Super League title in 2022 – the last of four in a row – and lifted the subsequent World Club Challenge, they have finished third, sixth and fifth in the table.
The past two Grand Finals have been contested by Wigan Warriors, backed since 2023 by billionaire Mike Danson, and Hull KR, who have been successful in attracting new investors alongside majority owner Neil Hudgell.
There have also been takeovers in that period at Super League rivals Hull FC – by Yorkshire businessmen Andrew Thirkill and David Hood – plus Wakefield Trinity and Castleford Tigers, by supporters-done-good Matt Ellis and Martin Jepson respectively.
In 24 years as chairman, former investment banker McManus has overseen 15 major trophy wins and their relocation to what is now called the BrewDog Stadium.
But he has admitted to a significant shift in recent times, with Saints no longer the attraction they were.
“The landscape of Super League, just in a two-year period, has changed dramatically. Even I didn’t notice it at first,” said McManus at a recent members event.
“Over the last two or three years it’s attracted a bigger level of investment from more high-net-worth individuals than in its history.
“This is what we’ve always wanted – clubs to be financially strong and for there to be an even competition. But it happened almost overnight.
“You got a new billionaire owner at Wigan. Hull KR are very strongly financed, which they’ve never been in their history, and that’s translated into the strength of their performance. Hull have, Castleford have, Wakefield have.
“There’s more competition in the market for players. The player market has inflated in terms of costs.
“We didn’t get things quite right over the last couple of years, I apologise for that and we’re looking to rectify it.
“It’s changed beyond recognition in terms of the buying power of these teams, and the automatic reaction that you’d think the best players want to come to St Helens – that’s no longer the case. There’s huge competition out there.
“It’s not great for St Helens supporters, having been used to continuous success, but it is a good thing for the competition.
“I’ll be the first to admit that it happened quicker and to a degree that we didn’t anticipate. We were a little slow off the mark and we’ve had two years at a level we should not be at.”