Jamie Jones‑Buchanan has warned that St Helens face a substantial rebuilding task after Eamon O’Carroll’s side failed to qualify for the Super League play‑offs for the first time in the club’s history. The Saints’ position at seventh place on the 2026 Super League table was cemented on Friday night when they suffered a crushing 48‑10 defeat at the hands of Leigh Leopards. Hull KR’s 36‑6 victory over Huddersfield confirmed the top‑six positions, leaving St Helens outside the post‑season picture.
The loss to Leigh marked the Saints’ seventh defeat in their last ten fixtures and was the second heavy loss in as many weeks, following a 28‑point drubbing by Leeds a week earlier. The string of setbacks has prompted a chorus of criticism aimed at the club’s recruitment policy and the impact of an ongoing injury crisis.
At one point in July, a staggering sixteen players were listed as unavailable due to injury, further compounding the team’s woes. In July, Paul Rowley stepped down as head coach after a disastrous run that saw the Saints fall six points behind league leaders Leeds Rhinos. That same month, the club endured a 46‑0 humiliation at the hands of Toulouse – the first time St Helens had been held scoreless on home soil in a league match since 1980. After a period of dominance that produced four consecutive titles between 2019 and 2022, the club now appears to be in a sudden and unsettling slump, raising serious questions about its long‑term strategy.
Looking ahead, O’Carroll is set to be replaced by former Brisbane Broncos and Australian national team coach Kevin Walters for the 2027 season. Walters, an experienced tactician, will be tasked with revitalising a side that has clearly lost its edge.
However, the underlying issues run deeper than a simple change of manager. Critics have highlighted a series of questionable recruitment decisions made over the past few years, suggesting that the club’s transfer policy has been short‑sighted and reactive. During the off‑season, St Helens added a handful of seasoned Australian players – prop Shane Wright, forward Jacob Host and front‑rower David Klemmer – as well as utility backs Jackson Hastings and Joe Shorrocks.
Mid‑campaign, they also secured the services of Daniel Suluka‑Fifita. Yet, despite these signings, the Saints have struggled to bring in further reinforcements due to salary‑cap constraints. Meanwhile, several key contributors departed: Konrad Hurrell, Morgan Knowles, Moses Mbye and Joe Bennison all left in the summer, and Kyle Feldt was released midway through the season.
The limited turnover has left the squad with a mix of ageing veterans and untested youngsters. Jones‑Buchanan argued on Sky Sports that “you certainly can’t copy and paste from one generation to another because context is king.” He suggested that while the club boasts promising youth, these players are arriving at an inopportune moment, lacking the experience needed to thrive in a struggling first‑team environment.
"Older players have stayed a bit too long, and some are even playing out of position," he added, pointing to the lack of cohesion as a major factor in the recent defeats. Jon Wilkin, a former Saints star turned Sky Sports pundit, echoed these concerns, describing the club’s recruitment as “shocking” and “terrible.” He argued that the Saints have made “convenient and short‑term recruitment choices” rather than securing like‑for‑like replacements for departing talent.
This, he warned, has forced the club to rely heavily on its academy products, who are still developing and consequently being exposed to the harsh realities of top‑level competition. "That’s why young guys are having to put a Saints shirt on and are getting flogged by Leigh," Wilkin said, emphasizing that the underlying problem is a pattern of sloppy recruitment over the past three or four years.
The recruitment shortfall has also been reflected in the limited activity for the upcoming 2027 season. So far, the only confirmed signing is Solomona Fa’ataape, who will join from Catalans.
While the addition of a new forward may provide some depth, it does little to address the broader structural issues that have left the squad thin and unbalanced. Eamon O’Carroll, reflecting on the season’s disappointment, admitted that the setback could serve as a catalyst for future improvement. He told reporters after the Leigh game that the experience of missing the play‑offs was “disappointing” but also an opportunity for growth. "This group has had a lot of success, consistent success, so to experience a bit of adversity is good in some respects," he said.
O’Carroll expressed confidence that the club’s leadership – particularly the incoming Kevin Walters – will bring clarity and decisive action to reverse the decline. The broader Super League context adds further pressure. Sky Sports will broadcast every match live this season, with two games each round shown exclusively on the main channel and the remaining fixtures available via Sky Sports+. The heightened exposure means that St Helens’ struggles are on full display for a global audience, amplifying the urgency for a strategic overhaul.
In summary, St Helens find themselves at a crossroads. A combination of poor recruitment choices, an ageing core, injury woes, and a lack of experienced depth has culminated in a season that falls dramatically short of the club’s lofty standards.
With Kevin Walters set to take the reins in 2027, the Saints must confront the need for a comprehensive rebuild – one that balances the infusion of fresh talent with the acquisition of seasoned professionals capable of guiding the younger cohort. Only by addressing these systemic issues can St Helens hope to restore the dominance that defined their recent past and return to the upper echelons of the Super League.