Despite St Helens’ Impressive Start, Questions Linger Over Wellens’ Future
St Helens’ commanding 40-10 victory over Leeds Rhinos on Friday night has eased some of the pressure on head coach Paul Wellens, but former captain Jon Wilkin believes the club should act quickly to secure Wellens’ long-term future.
Saints have enjoyed an impressive start to the Super League season, sitting atop the table after ending Wigan’s unbeaten run earlier this year. However, Wellens’ contract is set to expire at the end of the campaign, and Wilkin has questioned why there has been no apparent movement on extending the former Saints skipper’s deal.
“I find it strange that it’s not been discussed in the public forum,” Wilkin said on Sky Sports. “You’d think it’d be out there but we don’t know the conversations. It could well be well on behind the scenes and it’s just not been talked about, but the fact remains, if you’re the St Helens head coach then you’re under pressure all the time.”
Wilkin acknowledged that the pressure is simply part of the job for a coach at one of rugby league’s most successful clubs. He challenged Wellens to cement St Helens’ position as the dominant force in Super League, alongside Wigan Warriors, over the next three months to solidify his case for a new contract.
“The biggest period of his coaching career is the next three months. For me, it’s got to see them going from second with a group of teams, to being up there as Wigan and Saints both clear at the top,” Wilkin said.
The weight of expectation at St Helens is immense, as former captain Keiron Cunningham discovered during his time as head coach. Wilkin pointed to Cunningham’s sacking despite being a club legend as a cautionary tale, arguing that “sport’s not sentimental.”
With St Helens chasing more silverware this season, the pressure on Wellens to deliver will only increase. The longer the wait for a new contract, the higher the stakes become for the respected young coach to cement his position at the helm of one of rugby league’s most successful clubs.
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