MORGAN KNOWLES goes into his testimonial season hoping to extend his St Helens stay for the remainder of his career.
The England international forward has his testimonial game this Saturday as Salford visit Saints’ Totally Wicked Stadium.
It will be a chance for supporters to recognise his decade of first-team service to date, which has brought 218 appearances, four Grand Final wins plus Challenge Cup and World Club Challenge success.
Knowles is out of contract at the end of this season and is free to speak to other clubs but his preference is to keep wearing the red vee.
“I want to try and get it sorted before the season starts,” said the 28-year-old.
“If I were to stay at Saints for the rest of my career, that would be amazing. I’d be really proud if I could do that.”
Knowles has been with the club for half of his life, joining their scholarship at 14 from Barrow Island.
He said: “Initially my parents drove me up and down, then it was me and my little Punto! It’s about an hour and a half from Ulverston, where I’m from.”
A relocation south came ahead of his promotion to the first-team squad for 2016, after making his debut in the Challenge Cup against York the previous season.
“I actually found out on social media that I would be named in the squad. I went down and trained twice before playing,” said Knowles.
“I came off the bench and it was a surreal experience back then. It wasn’t Super League but to play for Saints was a dream come true.”
Still a teenager, he played 24 games the following year and has been a regular ever since, including as the loose-forward in all of their major final wins.
He said: “All the trophies are amazing, but it’s the experiences in and around that (which stand out).
“Like the World Club Challenge was amazing, not just the game but the whole trip.
“The best bits are the people you meet, the friendships you make and some of the times off the field, whether they are pre-season camps or Mad Mondays. They are what you remember more than the big games.
“The club has been good to me. I’ve turned from a young boy into a man, and all the players and staff have helped mould me into the person I am now.
“I’ll be forever grateful to the club and the people for what they’ve given me and my family.
“I’ve not always been the fans’ favourite player with disciplinary and things like that, but hopefully they can see I always gave my all and left nothing out there.
“It would mean a lot to me if they could turn out. It will be a special moment for me and my family.”
