Kyle Feldt didn’t like Paul Rowley’s St Helens ‘direction’ with feelings made clear

Kyle Feldt has opened up on his decision to leave St Helens, admitting he did not like the direction the club was going in.

Feldt was granted an immediate release from his contract with the club after an 18-month stint at Saints, having signed from NRL club North Queensland Cowboys.

The 34-year-old scored 33 tries in 29 appearances for the club before his departure, and has now returned to Townsville and taken up a new sport, crossing codes to try his hand in Australian Rules football.

Feldt on St Helens exit

After returning to the area, Feldt was a guest on Triple M and opened up on his decision to leave the club, stating that he did not agree with the way things were going at the club following the change of coach before the new season.

“I enjoyed 12 months of it and then a new coach came in and things started to change in a direction that I didn’t really like the way it was going,” Feldt said.

“Instead of trying to see it out and go with things that I didn’t really agree with, I thought why not just, I guess, leave on my own terms and the club were very like, I guess, forgoing with it as well so they kind of agreed. Now we’re here today, we’re back in Townsville.”

Feldt was signed when Paul Wellens was in charge, who ironically is now an assistant coach at the Cowboys, where Feldt had a stellar NRL career, making 217 appearances and scoring 151 tries. Paul Rowley was appointed as Wellens’ replacement ahead of the new Super League season.

Reports of a divided dressing room have continued to be mooted, with Feldt’s comments seemingly throwing more gasoline on that fire.

Feldt heads to new sport

Speaking on his new venture into Aussie Rules, Feldt added: “I have actually played it. I was younger, in school and that, but it all came about, obviously, Deanna’s (his wife’s) dad, he’s a Queensland Hall of Famer for AFL.

“I’d always, over a few beers, would get a bit of liquid courage to start talking. I could do that, I could do this. He goes, ‘Come down one day.’

I was like, ‘Oh yeah, righto.’ Then I always said, once I get a bit of free time, I’ll come down and have a go. He put it on me when I told him I was coming home a bit earlier and he goes, ‘Why don’t you come down, keep fit and kick the ball around.’

“I was like, ‘Yeah, right then, alright.’ I signed up when I was still in the UK and all of a sudden, overnight, it hit the press.”