Paul Wellens makes St Helens ‘identity crisis’ admission after play-off boost

St Helens boss Paul Wellens believes his side ‘reconnected with their identity’ on Sunday afternoon as they edged out Huddersfield Giants 18-10.

Wellens’ side were made to work at the John Smith’s Stadium, but they dug out the victory against the 12 men of Huddersfield, following Fenton Rogers’ red card for a high tackle, with tries coming from Jonny Lomax, Harry Robertson and Sione Mata’utia

It was a two points St Helens desperately needed after successive defeats to Wigan Warriors and Hull KR and with the gap closing between themselves and those outside top six, it was timely. It means the Saints now sit fourth in the league table, two points clear of Catalans Dragons and Leeds Rhinos, who are on the outside looking in.

With just three games remaining St Helens will surely fancy their chances of doing enough to claim a play-off spot now and Wellens will be keen to see his side build on the victory.

“What pleased me about the team is that we were prepared to defend our way to victory,” Wellens said after the game in West Yorkshire, per the St Helens Star. “In probably the last 8-12 weeks – and I include myself in this – when we have been doing it tough we have probably suffered a bit of an identity crisis.

“And it comes from a place of care and want to search for where we can get improvements and the personnel is constantly changing. So you’re looking for answers all the time, but what we did today was kind of reconnect with our identity a little bit.

“Part of that is being prepared to win games that are tight, win games that are tough. Ideally we’d love to put them away and score a couple of more tries at the back end of the game, but it wasn’t to be.

“The thing that we needed more than anything today was the two points and we did it in tough circumstances.

“The players approached the game in absolutely the right way, because there’s only one option today, and that was to win.”

He added: “When I look back on the game, there’s a number things that we can do a little bit better, a little bit different, but I am pleased with the efforts and the resilience that the group showed today.

“I feel like we’ve reconnected with our identity a little bit which was pleasing, but again it’s something that we have to continue to work. We’re looking for improvements, not resting on the fact we have won a game.”