By STEPHEN IBBETSON
THE problems continue to mount for Paul Wellens as a fifth consecutive St Helens defeat was compounded by a potentially serious injury to star Jack Welsby.
Saints’ thrashing at Leigh on Friday makes their current losing run the longest the club has suffered since 1986.
They were already struggling under the weight of injuries before Welsby was forced off by a hamstring injury.
Wellens said: “We’ll get the scan done as soon as possible and get some information but it’s looking like we’ll be without Jack for a number of weeks.”
Saints’ recent run, and the nature of their loss to the Leopards, has compounded fan displeasure with coach Wellens.
“There’s pressure in the sense that I’m desperate to win games. I don’t get too caught up in the external noise that’s around me,” said Wellens after the game.
“For me, I’m not the most important thing here, it’s the playing group. I want to continue working hard every day to help these players grow and improve and help the team grow and improve.
“It’s a challenging period that we’re in. I’ve been through similar periods as a player. You only get through them by working hard and sticking together.
“I accept that there will be a lot of passionate Saints fans frustrated that we aren’t winning games at the moment, and certainly the manner of the defeat tonight won’t please them. But I have to continue to work hard to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Moses Mbye also came off against Leigh, with a knee injury, and last week Konrad Hurrell was ruled out for the season.
The latter has been out since June with a neck injury and it has now been confirmed that he requires surgery, due to bruising around his spinal cord.
Hurrell’s future is uncertain as his Saints contract is up at the end of the year, meaning he could have played his final game for the club.
“We need to sit down with Konrad and discuss about the surgery and what follows. We will always be open and honest,” added Wellens.
“The discussions around his future can wait because the important thing now is his health. It’s too soon to give a definite answer.”
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