ST HELENS head coach Paul Wellens has admitted that recruitment is “a lot more difficult” at present than in the past.
Saints are yet to announce any new recruits for next season, but they have been linked with a number of names – including Canberra Raiders veteran Josh Papalii, Gold Coast Titans forward Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Penrith Panthers back-rower Scott Sorensen.
One man that has already made the short-term move to the Merseyside club is Shane Wright, who made the move from Salford Red Devils last month.
With Wright making his debut for Saints against Castleford Tigers last week, Wellens admits he is keen to see the back-rower sign for longer.
“It (the 2026 recruitment plan) is one of the reasons we brought Shane Wright in. He’s come in this year, but he’s a player that we’re interested in keeping longer-term if we can,” said Wellens.
“Obviously those discussions have got to take place, but it’s quite clearly an area where we need to strengthen as a club.
“I know we’ve got a lot of really good players here and the core of a strong squad, but we do need to strengthen in other areas if we want to remain competitive next year.
“We regularly have meetings around recruitment and try to assemble the best squad possible to be competitive.”
Wellens explained why recruitment has got tougher: “It’s not always that easy, it’s a competitive market out there now.
“There’ll be more clubs in the competition next year and the NRL is expanding, so there’s a lot to factor into it now to make it a lot more difficult than it has been in recent years.”
