PAUL WELLENS has named his standout young St Helens player from his side’s two pre-Super League games against Salford Red Devils and West Hull.
Though Saints went down 40-12 to the Red Devils in Morgan Knowles’ testimonial last month, they brushed aside amateur club West Hull in the Challenge Cup last weekend.
One name, George Whitby, stands out from those two fixtures for Wellens, with the 18-year-old having only just signed a four-deal to extend his stay with the Merseyside club.
“I was really pleased with some of those young players in both games, but I thought George Whitby acquitted himself well in both games,” Wellens said.
“There’s a lot to like about in the younger players from both of those games. I’ve got some very tough decisions to make in the next 24 hours.
“Everybody has trained on the field today from the top squad apart from Will Roberts and Ciaran Nolan.”
After a disappointing 2024 Super League season, which saw Saints finish sixth for the first time in the summer era, Wellens is determined to put things right for 2025.
And he acknowledged a “motivated” St Helens team in training.
“I think we are a motivated team at the moment, I’m hoping to see that reflection in our performances but we look very much a team in training.
“We have a group of committed men who are working hard for eachb other. We have learnt valuable lessons from those tough experiences but we understand we have to perform consistently over a period of time to be successful.
“We are looking no further than Round One, but we understand there is a bigger picture as well.”
