Paul Sculthorpe says Super League side can no longer have any excuses

Former St Helens star Paul Sculthorpe has said that St Helens no longer have any excuses after their recent drop off in form.

The Saints start the season winning the World Club Challenge but went on to lose two of their first four league games against Leeds Rhinos and Leigh Leopards.

Sculthorpe felt that perhaps this was excusable after the World Club Challenge but believes they can no longer rely on that excuse.

He said on The Last Tackle Podcast:

“You can forgive them for the games after, they beat Castleford but it wasn’t a stellar performance. Then losses to Leeds and Leigh but that excuse of a hangover from the World Club Challenge needs to finish now.

“I was at the game on Friday, a good win against Hull FC but not a good performance. Neither team really played well but it’s good to get the win and now move on.

“I think there’s a lot of lessons to be learnt in these last probably three weeks and the big one for me. and I know Wello has made of it, is discipline.

“We’re losing players to sin bins and sending offs but then you’re losing them for the weeks after, Morgan Knowles is missing this week.

“The game has changed in regards to the rules with the concussion, the player welfare and rightly or wrongly as fans we want to see the physicality, but they’re the rules that have been set and they’re not going backwards.

“Players have got to learn to deal with it and Saints have been done in certain areas in the last few weeks and it needs to stop.”