St Helens Rugby League Club has entered a new era after confirming the departure of head coach Paul Wellens, a club legend whose legacy as both player and coach is etched deep into the fabric of the Saints. The announcement came on October 9, 2025, following the conclusion of another dramatic Super League season that saw the Saints fall just short of a Grand Final berth—a result that ultimately sealed Wellens' fate at the Totally Wicked Stadium.
Wellens, 45, has been a fixture at St Helens since 1998, beginning his journey as a promising young fullback and going on to make an astonishing 499 appearances for his boyhood club. Over his 18-year playing career, he collected every major honor available: five Super League Grand Finals, five Challenge Cups, two World Club Challenges, and a slew of individual accolades including the Man of Steel, Harry Sunderland Trophy, and the Lance Todd Trophy.
After hanging up his boots in 2015, Wellens seamlessly transitioned into the coaching ranks, first as an assistant and then—following the departure of Kristian Woolf—taking on the head coach role at the start of the 2023 season. His appointment was greeted with optimism, rooted in his deep understanding of the club's culture and his pivotal role during Saints' period of unprecedented domestic dominance.
And what a start it was. In his very first game as head coach, Wellens masterminded one of the club’s greatest-ever triumphs: a gritty, golden-point victory over the Penrith Panthers in Australia to claim the 2023 World Club Challenge. Chairman Eamonn McManus later described the achievement as "the greatest in our over 150-year history," a testament to the magnitude of the result and Wellens’ immediate impact.
But as the seasons unfolded, the challenge of sustaining the club’s domestic supremacy proved formidable. In 2023, Saints finished third in the regular season, missing out on the League Leaders' Shield by the narrowest of margins—points difference—after a fiercely competitive campaign. Their hopes of a fifth straight Grand Final were dashed in the semi-finals by Catalans Dragons, who snatched victory with a late Sam Tomkins try.
The 2024 campaign brought fresh adversity. A raft of injuries to key players disrupted the squad’s rhythm, and the Saints never truly looked like title contenders. They scraped into the play-offs in sixth place, only to be edged out in a heart-stopping 23-22 eliminator loss to Warrington, coached by Sam Burgess. The defeat marked the first time in years that Saints failed to reach the semi-finals, and questions began to swirl about the club’s attacking structure and recruitment strategy, as the core of the all-conquering side of 2019-2022 began to age and move on.
Despite these setbacks, Wellens was handed a contract extension in 2024, signaling the board’s faith in his vision for the team’s future. The 2025 season began with a bang—Saints racked up a staggering 166 points while conceding just six in their opening three matches, reigniting hopes of a return to the top. However, as the season wore on, inconsistency crept in. The team eventually finished fifth, a respectable position but short of the high standards set during the previous era of dominance.
In the play-offs, Saints showed their trademark resilience, pulling off a stunning last-minute comeback win against Leeds Rhinos at Headingley in the eliminator round. Yet, dreams of another Grand Final appearance were dashed once more by Hull KR, who handed the Saints a comprehensive defeat in the semi-finals on October 4, 2025. The result brought the curtain down on Wellens' tenure, with the club deciding not to offer him a new contract as his current deal expired.
Chairman Eamonn McManus, in a statement that reflected both gratitude and regret, praised Wellens' immense contribution: "Paul's contribution to the history of our club has been without equal. As a player, he won every honour available in our sport and was at the epicentre of our incredible success story during his 17-year playing career at the Saints. Who can ever forget his on-field reaction as our captain at the end of our 2014 Grand Final victory over Wigan? It epitomised his devotion to the Saints and encapsulated his lifelong passion and dedication to our club and to this town."
McManus continued, "As head coach, he started his career with the greatest achievement in our over 150-year history when he led us to victory over Penrith Panthers to win the World Club Challenge on Australian soil in 2023. He has since committed his life in every way to the club as our head coach. He has always done so with professionalism, dignity, and class. He's been a supreme ambassador to our club and to our sport. It has therefore been the most difficult decision to make, but we have now decided to move in a new direction and to appoint a new head coach."
Wellens himself responded with characteristic humility, stating, "Whilst I'm naturally disappointed my time at the club will be coming to an end, I also respect that decision and would like to thank Eamonn for his honesty in what I know would have been an extremely difficult conversation. We have developed a close working relationship for the best part of 25 years, and despite the difficult nature of such discussions, our friendship remains very much intact." He went on to thank the club staff, players, and supporters for their unwavering commitment and support during both the highs and lows of his tenure.
Off the field, Wellens' coaching credentials extend beyond St Helens. He served as an assistant coach for England under Steve McNamara, Wayne Bennett, and Shaun Wane, and also worked with Tonga in 2023. His reputation as a thoughtful, dedicated rugby league mind is sure to attract interest from clubs both in the UK and abroad as he considers his next move.
For St Helens, the search for a new head coach begins amid speculation that the club is considering candidates from both the domestic scene and Australia. Whoever takes the reins will inherit a squad in transition, eager to recapture the glory days but facing stiff competition from the likes of Wigan Warriors—now the dominant force after Saints’ own period at the summit.
As the dust settles on another eventful season, the Saints faithful will reflect on Wellens’ remarkable journey from academy prospect to club legend, and from champion player to head coach. His passion for St Helens is undeniable, and his legacy—both on and off the field—will endure long after his departure.
With the Super League Grand Final looming and a new chapter about to begin at the Totally Wicked Stadium, all eyes are on the Saints’ next move. The end of the Wellens era marks both a poignant farewell and a tantalizing opportunity for fresh leadership to steer the club back to the heights its supporters so passionately crave.
