Brown: Youngsters will get better from experience

St Helens coach Nathan Brown says the club’s youngsters will get better from the experience of playing for the first team.

Brown has been forced to turn to several products of the academy set-up at Langtree Park, with his first choice squad decimated with injuries and suspension.

They slipped to a fourth successive loss at the weekend, going down 21-14 to London Broncos in the capital.

Brown told the club’s official website: “We competed hard again as we have in our last three league losses, but our decision making in key areas obviously wasn’t what we would like. It was three tries all and we felt we created enough chances to win some games.

“We are where we are at the moment and these younger players will get better from experience. You don’t want to play people out of position but we are where we are. We will get the benefit out of it further down the line, but people don’t see that as there is a bit of pain at the moment, but it will come.

“Everyone would like the young players to be playing like seasoned internationals – but it doesn’t happen overnight. They have to watch, learn and train hard and the team needs to learn what their strengths are too. We will get there eventually.”

St Helens host Widnes on Friday, and will at least be able to welcome back winger Ade Gardner, who sat out the trip to London through suspension.