EAMON O’CARROLL has urged his bruised St Helens side not to give up on the play-offs.
Saints have made every end-of-season Super League series but require a significant turnaround in form – having lost all three games under interim coach O’Carroll since Paul Rowley departed – to get back into the top six.
After Thursday’s 32-18 home loss to lowly Hull FC plunged them further into the mire, O’Carroll said: “It was an uphill task from the moment I was put in the role.
“But the last thing I want us to do is roll over, and I don’t think that will happen. It can’t – we’re better than that as a group.
“It’s going to be a difficult one for us, but it’s not unachievable.”
After a five-day turnaround between defeats to promoted York Knights then Hull, Saints aren’t in action again until this Saturday, at high-flying Wakefield Trinity.
“The beauty is we get a long week together now to train, so it’s an opportunity to spend time on the grass and rectify a few things,” said O’Carroll.
As well as working with fellow assistant Lee Briers, O’Carroll has brought club legend James Roby back to the club.
Following his playing retirement at the end of 2023, Roby spent two years on the coaching staff under Rowley’s predecessor Paul Wellens.
“When I knew I’d be stepping into the role, he was one of the first people I picked up the phone to,” O’Carroll explained.
“We’re quite similar in terms of our personalities and what we value. There’s certainly no negative to bringing someone of the calibre of James Roby back into the environment and giving everyone a lift.
“I just asked Robes to shadow me, give me some feedback in terms of my delivery and things like that, because I trust Robes. He’s a great man, but he’ll also tell me the truth, because he loves this club. He’s been a great addition.”