ST HELENS chief executive Mike Rush has launched a staunch defence of head coach Paul Wellens following an indifferent 2025 Super League campaign.
Saints have been inconsistent at best so far, but hammerings of Catalans Dragons and Huddersfield Giants in the past fortnight have instilled a belief that a corner has been turned.
Rush, who has been at Saints for almost 30 years in various capacities, has backed Wellens.
“Paul and his staff need to be given time to get it right. Paul’s not become a poor coach,” Rush said on Sky Sports’ The Bench podcast.
“We believed in him when we first gave him the job. He won a World Club Challenge in his first proper game. He had tremendous success at the start of last year until we got all of those injuries.
“I think in sport, confidence has a big role to play. It’s not a criticism of anybody, but sometimes I just wish we could be more positive and look outwardly with hope and joy rather than despondence, ‘what if’ and doom and gloom.
“I’m also not going to lie, you can see it’s hard on Paul, because nobody cares more than Paul Wellens at this club.
“Paul’s not daft, he knows results will dictate how far he goes as a coach, not just at this club, but in his whole career. Results will dictate that.
“But do I believe that Paul Wellens is a good coach? Absolutely I do.”
When asked about the vitriol aimed at Wellens online, Rush responded: “I’ve never been on social media. I only know some of the things that get posted on there through my children.
“I’ve got a couple of older children who probably don’t report back, but I’ve got a young daughter who’s in Year 11 that probably feels it because she sees the things.
“Paul’s the same, he’s got children – one is working and one is at school so it’s hard.
“The interesting point is that we can’t let outside noise dictate everything, but we can’t ignore outside noise.
“It is always going to be a tipping point in sport but that’s in every sport.”
