JACK WELSBY has admitted that St Helens players let former head coach Paul Rowley down following the latter’s exit from the Merseyside club.
Rowley’s exit was confirmed on Thursday morning, with assistant Eamon O’Carroll being placed in temporary charge until the end of the 2026 season.
Saints then had just a day to prepare for their derby clash against Wigan Warriors on Friday night – a game in which they were defeated 38-16.
Welsby addressed Rowley’s exit and how they prepared for the Wigan clash, telling Sky Sports: “We handled it as best as we could.
“We found out yesterday, went out and trained and did a Captain’s Run and the boys nailed it.
“The senior boys led it and the young lads followed. It was as good as it could have been.
“A lot of lads are embarrassed because we’ve let him down, really. But we’ve got a lot to improve on if we want to make the play-offs.”
Asked what he meant by the statement the players had let Rowley down, Welsby replied: “Our performances – at the end of the day, he doesn’t go out on the pitch.
“If we’d won as many games as Wigan, he would’t be getting sacked. We have to look inwards as much as outwards.”