After Friday’s game against Hull KR, two St Helens and Super League legends will pull the curtain down on glistening careers, in what is set to be an emotional night for all involved.
Jonny Lomax and Mark Percival have both announced that they will hang up the boots at the season’s end, bringing an end to their respective 18- and 14-year careers. Lomax is the last remaining Saints player to have played at their old ground, Knowsley Road, so for him especially it will be a poignant moment when the final whistle goes.
Combined, the pair have racked up close to 700 career appearances and over 600 Super League games. The pair have accrued a total of over 2,000 points for the club, highlighting just how sensational and influential they have been to the Red Vee.
Despite it not meaning anything in terms of the league table, interim boss Eamon O’Carroll knows that this game will go down as one of the most memorable in the side’s history, especially for the two retiring legends.
He told the press on Wednesday morning: “We’re very disappointed [with how the season has gone], but what we can do is celebrate two fantastic careers of two players that we absolutely adore, and we love, and that’s what we’ll do.
“The whole week’s probably been based around them and their careers. We’ve been able to find some enjoyment out of that, reminiscing and getting some video messages and some pictures up of the boys throughout their careers. We’ve had a few good laughs. I think that’s really important.”
“…They [Percival and Lomax] will want to go out the way that they started their Saints’ career, and they’ll do that regardless of the result.
“That’s one thing you’ll get from them two individuals, so it’s important for everyone, and we have referenced that the people in and around them replicate that as well.”
O’Carroll later added: “We spoke all week about having a performance that reflects Jonny and Percy, everything that they’ve done.
“When you look back at their career, they’ve ticked every single box. They’ve competed, they’ve played with a high level of skill, but most importantly, they’ve been really committed.
“They’ve been committed to the jersey, committed to the team-mates, and that’s what I want to see from the group at the weekend. I think we owe it to them. We obviously owe it to ourselves, we owe it to our supporters, the club.
“But the bigger picture is we owe it to them two boys. You only get one last game, and we’re lucky that it’s at home. I want it to be a real special event for them.”
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O’Carroll doesn’t need to ask the fans to show their support for the pair, he knows that the Red Vee faithful will already do that. It is set to be an excellent night at the Brewdog, with Saints fans getting to cheer on their team one final time in 2026.
“I think our fans have been fantastic,” insisted the interim boss. “Whenever I’m in and around them, I remember when I first came into the role, we had a bit of a fans’ day here. They’re all brilliant, really understanding of the situation that we’re in.
“They just want to see effort from the team… regardless of the year, I think everybody in and around the town, our supporters, our sponsors, they understand the level of commitment and sacrifice that those two players are giving to this great club.
“They’ve been there when it’s been successful, and they’ve had the good moments, and I feel that they’ve been really connected with us when we’ve had them bad moments as well.
“I don’t need to do this, but I urge everyone to get out on Friday night and come and support those two great men.”
Asked about Percival and Lomax’s next steps, O’Carroll isn’t sure what the two will do post-playing, but knows that they should remain at the club, and that the sport can’t afford to lose them given their value.
“I see Jonny as being a really good coach,” said the rugby union-bound interim. “I think the apprenticeship that he does over the next couple of years is going to be really important to him.
“I’ve had that conversation with him myself, not doing too much too soon. He’s a fantastic player, but it’s a different beast when you put that whistle around your neck.
“I think he’ll be really good, particularly in this environment, because he’s so well respected.
“Percy, for his character and the things that he’s done, I think it will be fantastic. Whatever path they both go down, I would imagine that they’ll still be at the club or still within the game.
“I think it would be a real shame to lose them both out of the game.”
