The RFL have granted St Helens star and England international, Matty Lees, with a 12-month testimonial, after representing the Saints for 10 seasons.
Making his senior debut in 2017, the Rochdale Mayfield junior is fast approaching 200 Saints matches, as he currently sits on 192, and in that time has won a plethora of silverware.
In 2018, Lees’ career really kickstarted, before a breakout year in 2019 saw him win Super League’s Young Player of the Year award at the end of that campaign, and would have gone on to play in the Grand Final had injury not cut his season short.
In 2020, he appeared from the bench in his first Grand Final victory, before starting in the front row in 2021 and 2022. Lees made his first England appearance at the end of 2022, as he featured in two World Cup group stage matches and the Quarter-Final win over Papua New Guinea.
The 27-year-old went on to start for Shaun Wane’s men in all three matches against Tonga in 2023, and both fixtures against Samoa in 2024. The powerful prop is also expected to be part of the pack when England take on Australia at the end of this campaign.
His leadership prevailed in 2024, as he stepped in as captain at Magic Weekend against Wigan Warriors for the first time in his career. Lees also made the Dream Team last season.
Next year will be the tenth season in the Red Vee for Lees, and he has already confirmed he will be sticking around longer, after signing a new deal that will keep him at the club until the end of 2029.
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Speaking to the St Helens club website, Lees can’t wait for his year to get underway, in what is sure to be one of celebration for him and his family.
He said: “It’s come around much quicker than I thought! I’m really looking forward to it, getting stuck into what we’ve got planned, and what will hopefully be a great year.
“This means a lot to me and my family, to have a Testimonial Year and a Testimonial Game too, it’s special. I just want to thank everyone who’s helped me get here. Mike [Rush – CEO], Eamonn [McManus – Chairman], all the coaching staff, and of course my family. My wife has been through so much with me, so to be able to celebrate this with her and give something back will be really special.
“This club is proud of players having Testimonials, we’ve had Morgan [Knowles] this year, Tommy [Makinson], Alex [Walsmley], and Jonny [Lomax] in recent years too, and I think it says a lot about Saints. It shows just how much this club means to players.
St Helens CEO, Mike Rush, added: “Matty has been a fantastic part of St.Helens ever since he first joined us as a youngster. We are extremely proud that so many outstanding players at our club have deservedly earned Testimonial Years, and we are delighted to see Matty become the latest.
“Watching him grow into the man he is today has been a privilege, and we are thrilled that he has been granted next year to celebrate not only what he has achieved on the field, but also the incredible work he has done off it in representing our local community. Everyone at the club wishes him the very best for his Testimonial Year, and we encourage all of our supporters to get behind him and everything he has planned over the next twelve months.”
Lees has announced he will be hosting a testimonial game, likely to be played in as part of a pre-season friendly, with that fixture announced in due course.
