St Helens legend outlines Super League fear amid recruitment verdict

One St Helens club legend has asked if the Red Vee can ‘genuinely challenge’ in 2025 as he claims they are ‘two or three players short’.

That man is two-time Man of Steel winner Paul Sculthorpe who has used his latest column for The St Helens Star to question the club’s depth options ahead of the 2025 Super League campaign.

St Helens limped into the play-offs in 2024 with the club suffering a terrible spate of injuries in the second half of the campaign. As a result of that, they’d lose nine of their final 13 games but saw their superior points difference maintain their record of making the play-offs in every Super League season to date.

Going forward to 2025 there is change aplenty with several high-profile players leaving such as Tommy Makinson, Sione Mata’utia and Lewis Dodd.

They’ve also seen centre Waqa Blake leave whilst the contract status of Konrad Hurrell remains up in the air and with just three signings made so far, club legend Scully has outlined his fears about the recruitment.

Have St Helens signed enough to compete in 2025?

After waxing lyrical about England centre Herbie Farnworth, Sculthorpe would outline his concerns about the club’s recruitment for 2025 thus far.

As it stands, the Red Vee have signed just three players with a trio of NRL backs arriving at the club.

The experienced Kyle Feldt will be a like-for-like replacement for Tommy Makinson whilst Lewis Murphy brings speed on the other wing. Meanwhile, Tristan Sailor offers options at full-back or in the halves giving Paul Wellens the option to rotate.

Whilst the quality of recruitment cannot be questioned, the quantity has been by Sculthorpe who argued: “I still think we are two/three players short to genuinely challenge these sides next season,” when referencing the other high-flying Super League sides.

He did show excitement about some of the club’s younger players who will certainly offer depth in terms of George Whitby and Harry Robertson, but ultimately the two-time Man of Steel winner wants more signings before the new campaign.

Concluding his final column of the year, he’d state: “Let’s hope Eamonn and Wello have a few more early Christmas presents to unveil to the Saints faithful.”

Whilst Sculthorpe might have a point, it’s worth noting that champions Wigan Warriors and semi-finalists Warrington Wolves have only made one and three signings respectively, despite losing ten players between them.

Grand Final runners-up Hull KR have been far more active as they’ve signed eight players for 2025.