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Five St Helens youngsters to watch out for in 2025

St Helens head coach Paul Wellens

There’s pressure on St Helens as they approach the new Super League season. Paul Wellens’ side stumbled to a sixth placed finish last time around before losing out to Warrington Wolves in the elimination round of the play-offs.

It was a difficult year with injuries biting and it meant that traction and consistency was hard to come by for the Saints, who very nearly missed out on a spot in the Super League play-offs for the very first time. They’ve made changes to their coaching staff and squad over the off-season, though and the expectation is that they will be able to bounce back and challenge at the top end of the division this year.

The Saints have a talented senior squad, with their first 17 being stacked with talent, experience and knowhow. Scratch beneath the surface, though, and the Merseyside outfit boast a group of promising young players who will get their chance as the campaign progresses.

With that in mind, here’s just five of the youngsters we’ll be looking out for at the Totally Wicked Stadium.

Harry Robertson

Robertson was probably one of the stars of St Helens season last time around. He only made nine appearances but he underlined his talent and potential on the field and won plenty of plaudits along the way for his performances. He grabbed himself a try in the win over Huddersfield Giants, too.

The playmaker, who can play in the halves or at full-back, is coming to the end of his first pre-season as a first-teamer and while he is still only 19, he’ll fancy his chances of having a big say on the Saints’ fortunes once more.

Noah Stephens

Again, by this point Stephens is no stranger to St Helens fans having stepped off the bench 14 times last season. Injuries through the middle provided Stephens with the opportunity to make his debut and he impressed enough to become a regular option for Wellens last season.

The 20-year-old will be looking to kick on this year then, and compete with the likes of George Delaney for a spot in the 17-man squad. He belongs as Super League level and should he continue his progression, he could be an important figure for the Saints down the line.

Will Roberts

The half-back hasn’t made a senior appearance for the Saints just yet, but he was a key player in the club’s Reserves Grand Final win over Wigan Warriors and he’ll be keen to kick on and claim a debut in the not too distant future. He spent time at both Swinton Lions and Rochdale Hornets last season and he’ll have spent time learning from the likes of Tristan Sailor and Jonny Lomax over the last few months as he looks to hone his game.

A knee injury in 2023 stunted his progression after starring for the academy and being named in the Lancashire Origin side, but he’ll hope that 2025 is his year.

George Whitby

Another pivot, Whitby will certainly look back on 2024 fondly. It was the year he made his senior debut for the Red V against Hull KR, and he managed to mark it with a try, which he also converted. In addition to that he captained England Academy against France in July and featured in Grand Finals at academy and reserve grade level.

After stepping up to become a full-time member of Wellens’ squad, Whitby will be looking to build on that remarkable year by claiming more chances with his boyhood team and establishing himself as a Super League player.

Leon Cowan

Cowan is in his second first-team pre-season and by this point he knows his way around the first-team environment at the Totally Wicked Stadium. However, he hasn’t quite made it into Wellens’ line-up just yet, with the back-rower spending much of last season with Swinton Lions, where he made 11 appearances.

He’ll be better for that experience and as he continues to grow and develop, he’ll fancy his chances of stepping up should Wellens look his way over the course of 2025.

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