St Helens boss Paul Wellens insists he is “fine” with the pressure after his side’s fifth consecutive defeat, losing 46-4 to Leigh Leopards under Adrian Lam.
This is the first time since 1986 that St Helens have lost five games in a row, and the heavy defeat has increased the pressure on Wellens. Despite fans calling for his departure, he remains unconcerned.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the eight-try loss, Wellens addressed the pressure he’s facing when asked by commentator Stuart Pyke. The 44-year-old said, “I’m fine with that. When I took the job, I knew there were expectations and standards at this club, and at the moment, we’re not meeting them.
“I joined the club as a 16-year-old academy player and have been here ever since. I’ve seen tough periods before, and I know that if we stick together and work hard, given the personnel we have, we’ll come through it.
“It’s very easy as a player or a coach to start pointing fingers, but it doesn’t do anybody any good.”
How St Helens can turn their season around
St Helens’ five-game losing streak is not only demoralizing but also threatens to derail their season, as they now sit just two points inside the playoffs despite being in fourth place in the Super League.
If Salford and Catalans win today, both teams would leapfrog the Saints, potentially leaving them in sixth place and only two points ahead of Leeds Rhinos. This marks a steep decline for a team that was joint top at the start of this poor run of form.
Making matters worse, Wellens lost his star full-back Jack Welsby to a hamstring injury last night. This injury could sideline him for months, adding to the club’s ongoing injury crisis.
Commenting on his players and their performance, Wellens said: “There’s a group in there hurting. They’re doing it tough. I’m not the type to go in ranting, raving, and throwing water bottles around, but we are disappointed and there are several areas where we need to improve.
“We allowed Leigh’s backfield too much time and space to free the ball, forcing us to work doubly hard to scramble and chase back. We simply asked ourselves to do too much defensively, and as the game progressed, it showed.”
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