St Helens are set to welcome back some key players this week but interim coach Eamon O’Carroll has stressed the need for patience given how many are fresh off long lay-offs.
Outside backs pair Deon Cross (bicep) and Nene Macdonald (knee) were both named to St Helens’ 21-man squad on Thursday, with the former having been feared potentially done for the season at one point.
Whether both play, and for how long, is another matter though as stressed by O’Carroll who highlighted the need to be smart with selection, despite the race for the play-offs looming large over the club.
He said: “If we get three lads back who’ve been out for ten weeks, we can’t expose them to a game straight away because if they don’t get through, I’m putting everyone else under pressure.
“We have to have an element of patience, although we’ve not got much left of the season and certainly with what we’ve got and what we’re trying to get in terms of making the playoffs, so we have to get them boys back in but at the right time.”
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St Helens boosted by backs duo
Saints had confirmed another major injury blow in O’Carroll’s presser, with young half George Whitby out for the year due to an ACL injury sustained in the loss to Hull FC.
Whitby had just returned from knee surgery but cruelly suffered the ACL injury on the opposite knee, highlighting how unfortunate St Helens have been and that’s likely a key reason why O’Carroll is set to be so cautious.
On his returning outside backs, he said: “Having an extra couple of bodies around us has been a huge lift. I’m really happy for Nene because I don’t think we’ve seen the best of him.
“I said that today when we announced the team and some of that’s out of his control, but you can see the way he’s moving in training now. He’s looking good, certainly a better version than Nene that we’ve seen this year.
“He’s in good health, the medical staff have been fantastic with him, so we’re looking forward to seeing him play.”
As for Cross, who was potentially thought to be done for the year thanks to his torn bicep, O’Carroll admitted: “I think it was quite broad in terms of his return to play so he’s at that point now where his strength is back. He’s got probably one more training session to kind of get through to see if he’s in contention. He’s looking good Deon.”
David Klemmer latest after Magic Weekend blow
Another senior player who is closing in on a return but was not named to the 21-man squad is forward David Klemmer, who is still sidelined after injuring his ribs at Magic Weekend.
That was in early July and the stated timeline from then head coach Paul Rowley was several weeks but O’Carroll explained why the matter is so complicated.
He said: “Dave is a real weird one, he’s obviously cracked a rib but just where the rib is, it’s in a dangerous spot so we’re getting continual scans just to see how that’s progressing.
“He’s due to have one this week as well to give us a bit of an indication as to timelines where he’ll be at but the positive with Dave is that he’s feeling good.
“It’s just mentally because it’s killing him not being able to help the team on the field at the minute, that’s the bit that’s getting him. He’s been fantastic in and around the environment and been a huge help for me as well.”
O’Carroll did confirm that Klemmer is restricted in training through fear of making the matter worse, though he admitted that the Australian is well on top of his fitness so will be ready and raring when the scan comes back positive.
The coach said: “We’ve kind of taken him out of the firing line in training because we don’t want to put him in a position where someone bumps into him and it knocks him back, there’s no need.
“When he gets the green light to go, it won’t be a case of us then having to get him up to speed fitness wise, he’ll be ready to go.”
🔻 𝐒𝐐𝐔𝐀𝐃 𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒
Interim Head Coach Eamon O’Carroll has named his 21-man Saints squad that will take on @WTrinityRL on Saturday evening!
Full story 😇 https://t.co/vH38AvNsoI#COYS | R. Whittle Ltd. pic.twitter.com/2xYVVtUbkX
— St.Helens R.F.C. (@Saints1890) August 13, 2026
