St Helens legend Paul Wellens says club rivalry will be put on the back burner as he tries to help steer England to World Cup glory on home soil next year.
The 40-year-old former fullback is now part of the coaching team at the Totally Wicked Stadium, and he played his part as Saints swept to Super League title glory last season.
Meanwhile, Wellens and Andy Last, the interim head coach at Hull, were recently named as assistants to new England coach Shaun Wane.
And Wellens, who retired from playing in 2015 after 495 Saints appearances, the last of them against Wane’s Wigan, and 31 for England and Great Britain, says he’s excited about working with the former Warriors chief.
“I locked horns with many of Shaun’s teams in the past, and tried to get the better of them,” said Wellens, who also worked with previous England coaches Steve McNamara and Wayne Bennett.
“Now we’re working together, and it was lovely to get the phone call from Shaun asking me to be part of his team. It’s something I’m really looking forward to.
“Of course, there is Saints-Wigan rivalry, but also a great deal of respect.
“Having played against teams coached by Shaun, I understand first-hand what he expects from his players, and I think he’ll be looking to get the same as England coach.”
Wellens, who has worked alongside three head coaches at Saints in Keiron Cunningham, Justin Holbrook and now Kristian Woolf, says he’s eager for this year’s planned home Ashes series against Australia to get the green light.
“It would be a big challenge ahead of an even bigger challenge at the World Cup,” explained the five-times Grand Final winner and 2006 Man of Steel.
“Injuries meant I was only able to play in one Ashes series, which was a disappointment, because I grew up on them as a kid and remember going to watch England versus Australia games with my dad.”
