St Helens have announced that they will lose one of their star players at the end of the 2025 season with an NRL switch confirmed.
The well-reported interest in Morgan Knowles from the Dolphins has now been confirmed as a move by St Helens with the Red Vee releasing a statement to announce the 28-year-old’s impending exit.
Knowles will leave St Helens at the end of the season with the loose forward set to move Down Under and reunite with former Saints coach Kristian Woolf at the Dolphins.
The loose forward had his testimonial game in pre-season with Knowles registering well over 200 appearances for the club, however, that his time with the club will come to a close at the end of the season.
A statement from Saints announced the news, reading: “St Helens R.F.C. can confirm that Morgan Knowles will depart the Club upon expiry of his contract at the end of the 2025 Betfred Super League season.
“The 28-year-old has chosen to take up a new opportunity with NRL club The Dolphins from next season.
“Admittedly, whilst the Saints are disappointed that Knowles will depart at the end of the year, he will do so with the best wishes and warm thanks for his service from all involved at the Club, as he embarks on a new adventure with his young family.”
St Helens man ‘speaks from the heart’ on exit
Credit: Ed Sykes/SWpix.com
The statement also saw comments from Knowles, head coach Paul Wellens and chairman Eamonn McManus, with Knowles’ comments dubbed as coming “from the heart”.
He said: “St.Helens is my club, I was welcomed with open arms as a kid, and I’ve gone from being a young lad to the man I am now and that’s because of all the people involved at the Club. Everyone has influenced me as a player in my career and as a person, and I’ll forever be grateful to the Club for everything they’ve given me and my family.
“My decision to move on is not something that I took lightly. When the opportunity came up, I did not wish to regret anything when the time comes to retire. I didn’t want any ifs, buts, or maybes in my mind, and it’s an opportunity for my family to experience a different way of life too.
“However, it is really hard because I believe in this group we have at Saints and that this year, and in the years ahead, we are going to continue competing for trophies. I know there is success on the horizon. To step away from all my friends and such a good place to play, it is extremely hard.”
Sharing his determination to make 2025 a successful season for St.Helens, Knowles added: “I can’t tell you how much I want success this year, and how driven I am, because I feel more motivated than ever.
“I’ll be doing everything I can. I am all in this year to give everything for the playing group who I owe so much, and to our fans as well to repay all the love I have been given since joining Saints.”
St.Helens First Team Head Coach Paul Wellens commented: “Morgan that throughout the last few weeks and months has always been very open and honest with the Club about his thoughts and his feelings, in terms of determining where his future lies. He has always gone on record and expressed his love and admiration for the people within this club who have helped him along the way.
“Naturally, we’re disappointed that we are losing a good player, but we understand and respect Morgan’s decision to explore a different opportunity. I think this decision makes Morgan more motivated than he has ever been, to go out in the right way.”
Chairman of St.Helens R.F.C. Eamonn McManus added: “Morgan has been an incredible contributor to St.Helens’ unprecedented success over the last decade and will go down as one of the great loose forwards in the history of our club.
“We fully understand and appreciate his desire to play in the NRL at this stage in his career and wish him and his family every happiness and success in their new life in Australia.
“He will always be very fondly remembered at the Saints and will undoubtedly receive the warmest of welcomes both in the club and in the town whenever he returns.”
