Jamie Jones‑Buchanan has warned that St Helens face a substantial rebuilding project after Eamon O’Carroll’s side failed to qualify for the Super League playoffs for the first time in the club’s storied history. The Saints’ seventh‑place finish in the 2026 Super League was sealed on Friday night when they were crushed 48‑10 by the Leigh Leopards, while Hull KR’s 36‑6 victory over Huddersfield confirmed the top six spots. The defeat marked Saints’ seventh loss in their last ten fixtures and the second heavy drubbing in as many weeks, following a 28‑point reverse at the hands of Leeds a week earlier. The string of setbacks has sparked a chorus of criticism surrounding the club’s recruitment policy and its handling of an injury crisis that at one point saw sixteen players sidelined.
Former Brisbane Broncos and Australia head coach Kevin Walters is slated to replace O’Carroll ahead of the 2027 campaign, and the experienced tactician will be tasked with restoring the club’s former dominance. Yet many observers are questioning whether the recruitment choices made this season have left the squad ill‑equipped to compete at the highest level. In July, long‑time coach Paul Rowley stepped down after a disastrous run that included a 46‑0 loss to Toulouse – the first time St Helens had been held scoreless at home in a league match since 1980.
At that juncture the Saints were six points behind league leaders Leeds Rhinos, and the heavy defeat underscored the depth of the club’s problems. Between 2019 and 2022, St Helens captured four consecutive Super League titles, establishing themselves as the benchmark for success. The recent slump has therefore been all the more shocking, prompting pundits to examine how a club that once seemed invincible could slide into mediocrity.
"Nothing is given in sport," Jones‑Buchanan told Sky Sports. "You certainly can't copy and paste from one generation to another because context is king. St Helens probably need a clear out." He went on to note that while the club possesses a wealth of promising young talent, those players are arriving at an inopportune moment and are not being given the ideal environment to flourish. "Older players have stayed a bit too long, and some are being played out of position.
Tristan Sailor and Jack Welsby showed flashes of brilliance against Leigh, but the overall jigsaw just isn’t fitting together for St Helens." During the off‑season, the Saints added seasoned Australians Shane Wright, Jacob Host and David Klemmer, and also secured the services of Jackson Hastings and Joe Shorrocks. Mid‑campaign, they signed Daniel Suluka‑Fifita, but salary‑cap constraints have limited further acquisitions.
Meanwhile, the club saw the departure of key figures such as Konrad Hurrell, Morgan Knowles, Moses Mbye and Joe Bennison over the summer, and Kyle Feldt was released midway through the year. Looking ahead, the only confirmed signing for 2027 is Solomona Fa'ata'ape, who will join from Catalans.
Yet former Saints star and Sky Sports analyst Jon Wilkin has been blunt about the club’s transfer strategy. "I’ve said it a number of times – Saints’ recruitment has been shocking. It’s been terrible. They’ve made convenient, short‑term choices and haven’t replaced players like‑for‑like.
They need to rethink their whole approach." Wilkin added that the reliance on untested youngsters is symptomatic of deeper issues. "There are a lot of young guys in the Super League who aren’t ready yet. I love that they’re getting experience, but the reason they’re thrust into the first‑team shirt is because the senior squad at the start of the year wasn’t durable enough, and the club brought in sub‑par replacements. That’s why the youngsters are getting flogged by teams like Leigh." O’Carroll, reflecting on the season and the missed playoff spot, admitted that the disappointment could serve as a catalyst for future improvement.
"It’s obviously really disappointing," he said after the Friday loss. "It doesn’t sit well with me that I’ve been part of that, I won’t shy away from it. This group has enjoyed consistent success, so experiencing adversity is good in some respects.
Moving forward, I have absolute clarity with Eamon and Abi about what needs to be done, and I’m confident they’ll execute it. Kevin Walters arriving now could be the perfect moment for the club to accelerate forward." The broader Super League context also features a busy Friday schedule, with Wigan Warriors and Leeds Rhinos battling for the League Leaders’ Shield, while Wakefield Trinity and Warrington Wolves vie for third place. Wigan captain Liam Farrell announced his intention to retire at the end of the 2026 season, adding another narrative to the weekend’s drama. In summary, St Helens’ recent decline can be traced to a combination of ill‑timed recruitment, an over‑reliance on inexperienced youth, and a spate of injuries that depleted the squad’s depth.
The upcoming appointment of Kevin Walters offers a chance to reset the club’s strategic direction, but success will hinge on addressing the structural flaws in player acquisition, ensuring a balanced mix of seasoned veterans and home‑grown talent, and restoring the winning culture that defined the club for much of the last decade. The road ahead will be challenging, but with decisive leadership and a clear recruitment blueprint, the Saints can aspire to reclaim their place among the Super League elite.