St Helens miss Super League play-offs as recruitment questions deepen

St Helens will miss the Super League play-offs for the first time in club history after a 48-10 defeat by Leigh Leopards confirmed a seventh-place finish. Hull KR’s 36-6 win over Huddersfield secured the top six.

The loss was St Helens’ seventh in their past 10 matches and their second heavy defeat in succession, following a 28-point reversal against Leeds the previous week. The result marks a sharp decline for a club that won four successive Super League titles between 2019 and 2022.

Sky Sports pundits Jamie Jones-Buchanan and Jon Wilkin questioned the club’s recruitment and called for a substantial rebuild. Wilkin described recent recruitment as “shocking” and “short-term”, arguing that players who departed had not been replaced on a like-for-like basis.

St Helens added Shane Wright, Jacob Host, David Klemmer, Jackson Hastings and Joe Shorrocks during the off-season, with Daniel Suluka-Fifita joining during the campaign. The club has also cited salary-cap constraints as a limit on further recruitment and has announced Solomona Faataape as its first signing for 2027.

The club’s season was also affected by a significant injury crisis, with 16 players unavailable at one point in July. Paul Rowley stepped down as coach that month, leaving Eamon O’Carroll in charge.

Kevin Walters is due to replace O’Carroll ahead of the 2027 season. O’Carroll said the setback was disappointing but expressed confidence that the club had clarity about what needed to be done, describing Walters’ arrival as timely for St Helens’ next phase.