Good news for Castleford as Paul Wellens reveals “complications” in long journey home

Quite rightly this morning St Helens were spotlighted on BBC Breakfast with Paul Wellens and Tommy Makinson appearing on the show following their World Club Challenge win in Australia.

Speaking on BBC, Wellens underlined how big of an experience it was in his first competitive game in charge:

“Yeah it’s pretty special for us as a club. To go over there and play against a wonderful side in Penrith the challenge was enormous for us but we had confidence and belief that we could get a result. I couldn’t pay the lads any more respect for the way they went about it.

“One of the main reasons I took the job was to work with this fantastic group of players. I know how hard they work and how determined they are for success, which certainly makes my job easier and I’m looking forward to more success like this.”

Meanwhile, Makinson spoke about the challenge that they were able to overcome:

“We definitely had confidence that we could go over there and beat one of the best sides in the world. It’s worth that long trip.

“I think the strength of the competition is great, they’re double time premiers over there in Australia.

“There’s the heat and the travel, for us to go and achieve greatness is something special. It cements us as one of the best sides in history.

“To win it in golden point as well is crazy. Not many games go to that, our young half-back kicking that to win the game after he’s been through some turmoil, he’s just come off the back of a bad injury”

A great moment for St Helens, it perhaps came at a cost with Wellens revealing that it took 53 hours to get home due to complications which is good news for Sunday’s opponents Castleford Tigers:

“Its one thing doing it on the training field but it’s another to do it under such pressure like we did at the weekend. That’s why I hold this group of players in the highest regard because doing it under pressure is what matters in professional sport.”

“It took 53 hours to get home door to door through various complications along the way, but it was made all the more easier to cope with off the back of a win, that’s for sure.”

Despite this, Makinson says St Helens are getting stronger saying he doesn’t see why they can’t win a fifth consecutive title: “I don’t see why we can’t, we’ve won it four years now and our team is the same. We haven’t lost anyone and we’re getting stronger, so watch this space.