St Helens head coach Paul Rowley has insisted that the debate around what the club’s best spine looks like is ‘not a hot topic’ internally but simply something that is being speculated among in the media.
Since Jack Welsby’s return from injury in round 10 of Super League, St Helens have played three different spine combinations in five games with the England full-back only once playing in his natural position, something that happened as a result of Tristan Sailor moving to the wing to replace the ill Owen Dagnall.
Paul Rowley spoke to the media on Wednesday to preview tonight’s game against Warrington Wolves, where star man Jackson Hastings remains suspended and questions remain over what the St Helens spine will look like.
When asked about the ‘hot topic’ that was the club’s spine and if youngster George Whitby would retain his starting spot, Rowley responded: “It’s not a hot topic for us, it’s you guys.
“We’ll just do what we feel fit and what best serves this team.”
With Owen Dagnall now confirmed to be fit, Sailor may well revert to full-back with Jack Welsby possibly competing with Jonny Lomax and George Whitby in the halves, the starting pair from last week’s loss to Leeds Rhinos.
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St Helens urged to clean up discipline ahead of crunch clash
Rowley also addressed that defeat to the Rhinos and notably his side’s ill discipline within the game, something he believed to be costly and urged the need for improvement.
“Definitely, we conceded too many penalties,” he admitted.
“We stopped playing in the second half, I felt. That’s the learnings that we’ll get from it. I thought we did a lot of things very good.”
Having played tonight’s opponents Warrington in round one, a narrow defeat, Rowley was asked how he felt his side had progressed.
“We’ve certainly progressed in terms of mentality and how we go about our business, but it’s like always, I think a season feels so long and things change so dramatically throughout the course of a season.
“All best plans and all that, we’ve had a lot of changes in terms of personnel due to injuries, long injuries. I would say it’s evolved more than progressed and there’s still a lot of room for progression.”
On the second half of the season, he added: “I think there’s some blue sky ahead if we’re willing to work hard and I think we’ve got a group that are.”
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