PAUL WELLENS hopes to see Swinton develop more of his St Helens youngsters following the pre-season game between the clubs.
The Championship Lions ran out 28-18 winners against an inexperienced Saints side at the Totally Wicked Stadium on Saturday, their first run-out of the campaign.
Those clubs have a dual-registration agreement for 2024, continuing a partnership which began last year when nine Saints players lined up for Swinton in total.
That number included prop George Delaney, who went on to make 20 first-team appearances after a six-game loan spell at Heywood Road.
“You only have to look at what happened to George Delaney last year – he spent six or seven weeks with Swinton at the start of the year – and what that can do for a player,” Saints coach Wellens told League Express.
“I’m very hopeful that (Swinton coach) Alan Kilshaw will be calling on a few of our players to give them similar experience. Playing Championship rugby is a step up in class to what a lot of these kids have been playing.
“It’s a really valuable relationship, in terms of us getting players some game time at a really good level of rugby.
“We’ve got a great relationship with Swinton as a club. Whenever our players have gone and played for them, they’ve been treated brilliantly and have been given great opportunities. We want that to continue.”
Things weren’t always so cordial in a pre-season game with a number of flashpoints, but Wellens is sure his beaten Saints will be better for the experience.
“It was a step-up in class to what they’re used to playing against and certainly a step up in physicality, so I’m sure they learned a lot of lessons from it,” he added.
“If they’re prepared to look at their games honestly and reflect, there’s so much improvement to be made. It should be an exciting experience for those young kids off the back of that, to learn those lessons.”
Wellens singled out the performance of Jonny Vaughan, a newcomer to the first team for 2024 after being an ever-present in Saints’ title-winning Academy season, against Swinton.
“I was particularly pleased with Jonny, starting in the back row and finishing in the centre,” he said of the 18-year-old, who captained England Academy against France last year.
“The try he scored probably encapsulates everything Jonny’s about in terms of his commitment to competing and turning up when it matters.
“Also when we kicked out of yardage, he was the first person to chase down. Those types of efforts are particularly pleasing for me as a coach.”
