Makinson’s Departure Marks Transition for St Helens
In a major transition for the Super League giants, St Helens are gearing up for life without their experienced winger Tommy Makinson. According to the recent announcement, the decorated player will be leaving the club at the end of the current season, with reports suggesting he will join the Catalans Dragons in the summer.
Makinson, who has spent his entire career donning the Saints jersey, has been an integral part of the team’s success, winning five Super League Grand Finals, a Challenge Cup, and a World Club Challenge. His impending departure will undoubtedly leave a significant void in the squad.
Speaking to the media, St Helens’ head coach Paul Wellens acknowledged the challenge of replacing a player of Makinson’s caliber. However, Wellens remains optimistic, stating that the club has some promising young talents within its youth setup who will be eager to step up and claim the vacant position.
“What we have got here at the club is some really young, exciting outside backs within the club who I’m sure will be very keen to stake a claim for that position and we’ll certainly be giving them the opportunity to do that,” Wellens said.
While the club is exploring external options to fill the void, Wellens emphasized that it will not be an easy task. “It is a competitive market out there, but Tommy Makinson is still one of the best wingers in Super League, and in some ways, it becomes almost impossible to replace him.”
In a separate update, Wellens revealed that the club is yet to discuss a new contract with Waqa Blake, who joined the Saints in the off-season. The focus, Wellens stated, has been on helping Blake find consistency in his game and regain his fitness after a challenging start to life in the Super League.
“He’s a brilliant finisher, he took a lot of those tries extremely well and he carries the ball out of yardage well,” Wellens said of Blake, who has signed a one-year deal for 2024.
As St Helens navigate this period of transition, the rugby league world will be closely watching to see how the club adapts and develops its squad to maintain their dominance in the Super League.
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