JACK WELSBY will make his St Helens return today (Sunday) against Huddersfield Giants and his coach Paul Wellens isn’t alone in calling that “fantastic news”.
The England star will play for the first time since suffering a knee injury in Saints’ defeat to Hull KR at the end of May.
He’s recovered considerably quicker than expected in a huge boost to the side for the run-in – although it also poses one big question, of where he will now play.
Welsby’s recovery
When St Helens received the initial diagnosis on Welsby’s patella tendon damage it was that he would be out for 16 weeks, which would have seen him back for the final couple of games of the regular season only.
Cue immediate concern not only from Saints fans, that he would not be at his best come play-off time, but England supporters too, wondering who else could fill the fullback berth for the Ashes if required.
But rehab is never guaranteed to be a straight-line journey. Even after a successful surgery, things can heal slower or quicker than expected, the body can react better or worse than usual, and the return to training can be easier or harder than hoped.
Just look at poor Lewis Murphy, who suffered a quad injury in the very same game as Welsby’s blow. Initially due back in just eight weeks, he’s not expected to be seen again this season.
Saints were confident from a very early stage that the 24-year-old could knock a significant chunk of time off his recovery schedule, such was the success of the operation.
As it has turned out, he is back in twelve weeks – and it could have been even less, with Castleford Tigers two weeks ago his initial aim. Wellens says he could have played last week against Wakefield Trinity, but the club had the luxury of being cautious.
“He hadn’t had many of what we would call intensive training sessions,” said Wellens.
“Off the back of a long turnaround, we’ve had more time on the field and the ability to get more training load into Jack, which bulletproofs him even further with his return imminent.
“He’s been training exceptionally. He’s been moving really well and showing no signs of rustiness there. With that in mind, and Jack being Jack, you are tempted to get him out there.
“When a player is returning much earlier than was first indicated, I feel it’s important that we do err on the side of caution slightly there. But Jack is itching to get back out there, get that shirt on and help his team-mates, which is wonderful for me to see as a coach.
“I want to pay Jack huge credit. His hard work and application throughout the last eight or nine have been exemplary, and through that he’s put himself in a position to play way ahead of schedule. It’s a great boost for us.”
Where will he play?
A great boost brings a great dilemma, because Saints have arguably been playing their best rugby this season while Welsby has been on the sideline.
After that Hull KR game, they had won seven of 13 in Super League and were only in the top six on points difference. Without him, they have won seven from eight and have not just a top-four finish in their sights but potentially even the top two.
Better player availability has brought a more settled side. Jonny Lomax and Moses Mbye are working well in the halves, all of the threequarters – Kyle Feldt, Harry Robertson, Mark Percival and Owen Dagnall – are in good form, and most crucially Tristan Sailor is playing the best rugby of his time at the club from fullback.
Earlier in the season, Sailor’s poor form was Wellens’ biggest issue. He started at stand-off, went to fullback in a swap with Welsby and then even played three games on the wing, up until Welsby’s injury.
Now, Sailor’s good form is Wellens’ biggest issue. He has undoubtedly been strongest at the back, allowing his running threat to flourish, but that is also Welsby’s best position (admittedly he’s also a past Dream Team member at centre and stand-off too).
Putting both in the team would mean disrupting Saints’ most effective halfback partnership all year, and either dropping captain Lomax, or taking out Mbye’s kicking game.
The alternative is shoehorning Sailor out wide again, or harshly ditching him altogether.
“It’s a difficult decision with the team playing as it is, competing the way we have in recent weeks,” admits Wellens.
“However everyone knows how important and how good a player Jack Welsby is. In my position you have to make difficult decisions, it comes with the territory.
“We want Jack Welsby to be firing at the back end of the year and impacting the team in the way we know he can. We’ll make whatever decision we feel is right to influence the team not just this week but in the back end of the year as well.”
Huddersfield’s guessing game
Welsby tore Huddersfield apart in May’s reverse fixture, scoring a hat-trick. And back then, they could prepare fully for him.
The Giants have been very much anticipating Welsby’s return this week so there were no surprises there, but uncertainty over where he will play has added another layer to the challenge of preparing for a trip to one of Super League’s in-form sides.
“When he’s in the squad it’s a little bit more daunting,” acknowledged Huddersfield coach Luke Robinson.
“There’s an opportunity he could play left half, because Sailor has been playing exceptionally at fullback and causing teams all sorts of problems.
“They could decide to put him at fullback and move Tristan back to half, or they could put Tristan on the wing. They’ve lots of different options.
“It’s something we’ve spoken about and addressed slightly, you have to do. But sometimes you can get a bit too enthralled by what’s coming up against you and you don’t practice what you need to do.
“I’m not sure what Saints will do myself, so we’ll have to wait and see when the teamsheet comes out.”