Analysing whether St Helens’ Jack Welsby gamble worked in crucial victory

In reality, whatever Paul Wellens decided to do on Friday was always going to be subject to some level of scrutiny.

This situation is a making entirely of St Helens’ own recruitment policy. As was pointed out by Jon Wilkin on Friday evening, the Saints have three high-quality fullbacks in their squad: and three into one doesn’t go.

Jonny Lomax is now well entrenched in the halves, but the decision to bring in Tristan Sailor when the incumbent England fullback is at the club continues to look slightly perplexing.

So with Welsby back fit, all eyes were on what the Saints coach decided to do on Friday evening against Hull FC. Sailor has been a revelation in recent weeks, so all the signs pointed to him surely remaining at the position he has made his own while Welsby has been out injured.

But Welsby pulled a trick card and surprised many by what he decided to do, with Welsby going back in at fullback, Sailor going into the halves – where he has been ineffective in truth – and Lomax being dropped to the interchange bench. It was a bold call: and while the Saints won, there’s still some debate as to whether it worked.

Take Welsby’s performance first and foremost. He deserves a level of leeway due to the fact that this was his first start in months, and critics of Wellens would have had the proverbial knives out at the break, with Welsby struggling to make a real impact: and Sailor doing much the same in the halves.

But in terms of the England international, there were actually positives to be taken. By full-time, Welsby looked much more like the player everyone knows he can be; he grew into the contest in the second half and was involved in some pivotal plays but with and without the ball.

But that does not solve this dilemma: far from it, in fact.

Sailor, like Welsby, deserves some credit due to the fact many were expecting him to take the competition by storm the second he arrived in England. That was always going to be unrealistic.

Over the last six weeks however, Sailor had really begun to shine having had a long-term run at fullback, which is clearly his preferred position: suggesting otherwise would be a fallacy.

He didn’t look the same player on Friday night in the halves – and he was hooked with half an hour remaining here to accommodate Lomax’s return to the pitch.

It’s a real, real problem that shows no signs of abating – and Wellens has only days to work it out before the real business starts.

Games against Hull KR, Leigh Leopards and Wigan Warriors are looming on the horizon in consecutive fixtures. Things are about to really step up a notch.

Does Wellens incorporate his emergency two fullback plan that he’s teased in the last week or so, and try and find a way to get his two biggest attacking threats in their preferred positions? Or does someone continue to have to play out of position?

Friday at least offered us an answer that Welsby remains a superb fullback. But we knew that already. The big question, it appears, still remains unanswered.