The name Jack Welsby is one that every rugby league fan in the UK will now know.
But, that wasn’t the case a few years ago before the young St Helens man burst onto the scene.
A player that can play anywhere along the backline as well as at loose-forward is versatile, but that often means they are not played consistently in one position.
Since the loss of Lachlan Coote to Hull KR, however, Welsby has been handed the number one shirt by head coach Kristian Woolf – and boy has Welsby taken the opportunity with both hands.
Being a former St Helens man, BBC Sport pundit Jon Wilkin knows exactly what it takes to be at the top of the game for a long time and he had a number of brilliant words to say about the 21-year-old.
“Everyone knows how much of a fan I am of his,” Wilkin said.
“Fullback, scrum-half, stand-off, he can play anywhere whilst his execution and all the basic things he does, he does it well.
“If he doesn’t get with you passing, he will get you kicking. there’s nothing he cannot do.
“He’s an incredible athletic talent and his rugby IQ is as high as anyone I’ve seen – how versatile he is is a huge strength.”
