ST HELENS stalwart Morgan Knowles says he’s enjoying his testimonial season – but finishing it on a high with club and country ahead of his move to the NRL is his major focus.
The 28-year-old backrower from Barrow, who is joining the Brisbane-based Dolphins on a two-year contract, was among the 32-strong England train-on squad who gathered in Manchester last Tuesday to step up preparations for this autumn’s home Ashes series.
England haven’t played Australia since going down 6-0 in the World Cup final of 2017, the climax of a tournament Down Under in which Knowles featured three times for Wales.
He switched to England in 2021, and played his part in the run to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup on home soil before involvement in the home Test series triumphs over Tonga in 2023 and Samoa last season.
With Saints he was a pack cornerstone in the successive title wins of 2019 to 2022, the last three of which were under Kristian Woolf, now coach of the Dolphins.
Paul Wellens is seeking a first Grand Final appearance since stepping up from assistant ahead of the 2023 campaign – and Knowles would love to sign off at Saints with another appearance at Old Trafford.
The man who made his debut in 2015 following progression through the development ranks after being scouted in the juniors at renowned amateur club Barrow Island told Saints TV: “We have set ourselves standards which we have to hit consistently.
“We know there have been times this season when we haven’t been good enough, so we have to make sure we do the right things week in, week out and build some momentum.”
Knowles had a testimonial match against Salford at the Totally Wicked Stadium in pre-season, and recently enjoyed a golf day.
“To get this year is a real honour, it’s going well and I’m trying to take it all in and appreciate all the efforts people are making,” he added.
“But the main focus has to be finishing my time here on a high by playing as well as I can.”