St Helens coach admits ‘uphill task’ following Hull FC defeat amid George Whitby injury latest

St Helens’ interim head coach Eamon O’Carroll admits it is an ‘uphill task’ to reach the play-offs, but insists he will not allow anyone in the camp to give up on the cause.

Saints were beaten 32-18 on home soil by Super League strugglers Hull FC on Thursday night, with that their fifth defeat in the last six games.

O’Carroll – who began the year as one of Paul Rowley’s assistants – has now been at the helm for three games, overseeing losses to Wigan Warriors and York Knights as well as Hull.

Those donning the red vee now have just five games of the regular season remaining and a tough run-in, with the potential that they could be four competition points outside the top six come the end of the weekend and points difference not in their favour.

‘It was an uphill task from the minute I was put in the role’

Saints have never failed to make the play-offs in the Super League era, and when a play-off system has existed in the British game, they last failed to make the cut in 1962.

After the defeat to Hull FC, interim boss O’Carroll admitted: “It (making the play-offs) was an uphill task from the minute I was put in the role.

“The last thing I want us to do is roll over and give in and I don’t think that will happen from the group, we’re better than that.

“It’s going to be a difficult one for us to go and achieve, but it’s not unachievable.

“There’s no hiding from it and I think it’s important we reference it. We can’t shy away from it and we should be fully aware of it, because we don’t want to be the first Saints team that don’t make the play-offs – we want to be in the play-offs.”

Next weekend sees Saints travel to League Leaders’ Shield hopefuls Wakefield Trinity.

O’Carroll added: “We can’t give up. I know we’ve not got many players, but what’s important is that we if get a hint of that (giving up), they can’t be part of what we’re doing over the next five or six weeks.

“There’s a way for us to lose; I’m not making excuses, because we’ve got to be better than that, but we get a long week together now and a chance to spend some time on the grass.

“Hopefully there’s a few bodies coming back, I’m not sure on the timeframes too much, but I think the group is needing an injection from the senior players.”

George Whitby injury latest

Among the silver linings for Saints in Thursday night’s defeat was the return of highly rated young half-back George Whitby, who had been sidelined since June after knee surgery.

Whitby was forced off in the second half and went down the tunnel, but O’Carroll was able to offer good news on that as he explained: “George has got a little issue with his opposite knee, so we thought it was right to take him off.

“He’s back a week early and the knee he’s just had surgery on is absolutely fine.

“He took a bit of a bang on the other side, so it was time to bring him off. He was playing on limited minutes tonight, but he put his hand up and said he wanted to play.

“He brought some energy to the team and we certainly missed that.”