Paul Wellens opens up on his worst moment at St Helens

Paul Wellens is a name that will forever be remembered at St Helens and in the sport of rugby league.

One of only three people to ever win the Lance Todd Trophy, the Harry Sunderland Trophy and the Man of Steel, Wellens spent the entirety of his career at the Saints, winning five Grand Finals, five Challenge Cups and two World Club Challenges, before retiring midway through the 2015 season.

But, despite all that success, the inspiring fullback was on the receiving end of five Grand Final defeats – all of them in successive years and it is those that stick out for Wellens when recalling his worst moment in the game.

“We went through a period when we lost five Grand Finals in a row. any sportsman will tell you when you lose a final it’s hard to get over, but when you do that year on year it becomes gut wrenching,” Wellens told the Physio Spill.

“Even now I look back and I can’t quite believe we went out there each year and lost.

“There was part of me that was a little bit proud because we kept dusting ourselves off – we never actually shied away from trying to win a Grand Final but every time we lost one it just seemed to become more and more difficult.

“I look back at it as a huge learning experience but at the time it was really difficult.”