St Helens recruitment hint and half-back priority among key squad number takeaways

St Helens have become one of the first Super League clubs to reveal their squad numbers for the 2026 season – and their list has some fascinating points of note to dissect.

Paul Rowley’s first season in charge at the Saints will see a handful of new signings join the club after a disappointing campaign under Paul Wellens in 2025.

Of course, squad numbers are merely a guide and nothing concrete – but they do offer some valuable hints. With that in mind, here is everything we’ve learned from the Saints’ squad numbers..

Jonny Lomax has first crack at half-back

It was always going to be interesting to see how different the spine numbers looked given the inconsistency and upheaval the Saints had in those positions in 2025.

In the end – nothing has changed in terms of the numbers and the players wearing them. That means it looks like veteran Jonny Lomax will be given another opportunity to start the season at scrum-half, presumably alongside Tristan Sailor.

What does it mean for George Whitby? He’s at least had a promotion up to 17, implying he’ll have a role to play. But from day one, it looks like it will experience over youth that gets the nod at scrum-half.

Deon Cross on the wing?

Maybe the biggest surprise of them all was Deon Cross taking the number five shirt which was worn by Jon Bennison in 2025. You could have assumed that it would have gone to one of Lewis Murphy or Owen Dagnall, the latter of whom really established himself as a Super League winger for the Saints last season.

But it’s Cross who gets the shirt. Does that suggest that a player Rowley knows well will be the first-choice on the wing?

David Klemmer IS the Morgan Knowles replacement

There is no bigger dilemma for Rowley than finding a solution to filling the rather significant hole left by Morgan Knowles’ departure for the NRL.

It appears that, based on the numbers, it’s going to be import David Klemmer that is given the task of stepping up in Knowles’ absence. There are other options, such as Matty Lees or Joe Shorrocks.

But the numbers seem to illustrate that Klemmer will be the Saints’ 13 at the start of the season.

There’s one more new signing to come

The one thing that really stands out more than anything else – the three letters next to squad number 25: TBC.

That implies there’s one more new signing still to come, but it is likely to be a signing that is complete further down the line into pre-season, with the Saints taking a patient approach to the final position in their squad. They have significant quota space, so it’s possible they could head overseas.

But it’s something to keep an eye on.