St Helens to launch deep dive review after injury-tormented campaign

St Helens are set to launch a deep dive review of their methods following a 2024 season full of injuries.

Finishing sixth was far below pre-season expectations, with the race to finish in the play-off spots going down to the wire despite their ultimately unsuccessful close rivals, Leeds Rhinos and Catalans Dragons, also having poor campaigns overall.

Head coach Paul Wellens has been given a new contract and with the help of new assistant coach Lee Briers, he’ll be tasked with turning the club’s fortunes around.

One key problem was certainly injuries, with the likes of Tommy Makinson, Mark Percival, Daryl Clark and many more missing key stages of the campaign.

St Helens to launch review after injury-tormented campaign

Now, it seems that the club will pay close attention to this 2024 trend.

Wellens said, via St Helens Star: “The review is something that we do at the end of every year.

“But this has been very different because in years previously, say with hamstrings for example, we’ve had patterns.

“When you get patterns you look at something within the programme that’s causing this problem, but what we’ve had this year is hardly any patterns at all with players picking up different types of injuries.

“Contact injuries have been a main contributor to some of them.

“That is encouraging in one respect because it tells you that maybe the programme is pretty solid, but it’s also frustrating because it shows luck has not been on your side.

“We were affected more so than anybody this year with all types of injuries. We’re not just going to be flippant about it and call it bad luck.

“We are going to look at the environment – ask what can we do different?

“Is there anything with our medical programme and coaching sessions that we can differently?

“We will just have to have an in depth look at it.”