Paul Rowley’s unexpected St Helens challenge and ‘mischievous’ question

Paul Rowley has admitted that he doesn’t hear the outside noise as St Helens prepare for a big showdown with Catalans Dragons.

After a dire defeat at home to Toulouse Olympique, pressure has amplified on Rowley and his side, who are currently sat outside the play-offs with just nine rounds of the season remaining.

Since the beginning of the Super League era, Saints have never missed out on the finals series, but now face a battle to retain that record after being kept to nil at home for the first time since 1980 last week.

That defeat has resulted in a lot of discussion about Rowley’s time at the club, but he insists it isn’t something that plays on his mind, even if it’s something he admitted could bother his players.

“I don’t hear the outside noise, so I don’t really need personally to shut it out,” he said. “I don’t hear it. Players will, though. It has been pretty significant. So I think it’s one of those things. If you take the pats, then you take the criticism as well. So it’s probably better not to get it.

“But I think, and it’s social and that, but I think the way the world is now. And unfortunately, it’s much more interesting in the north of England in particular, to share or fan the flames of a negative story than a positive one. So, yeah, it can be tough sometimes.”

Unexpected challenge of St Helens

Rowley is in his first season at the club after previously taking charge at Leigh, Toronto and Salford. When asked if he had encountered challenges he may not have anticipated when arriving at the club, he said: “I think just everything’s magnified, isn’t it?

“You know, everything from questioning from you guys and how quick and how short the tolerance is, you know, the pile-ons. But in terms of playing, I just don’t think we could ever envisage 16 injuries and, like I said, just short of two million in talent not playing. I challenge any team to do that and come up with the results.

“So, to be where we are is a credit in most respects. If we had all our team, I still don’t think we’d be playing totally how I’d like us to play, but that’s a journey and an evolution, if you like. So, I’d need some transfer windows to try and put that right. So, no, there’s always new challenges, but nothing that I would worry about too much.”

Asked if patience is required from supporters, Rowley added: “I think the club requires patience, so it’s never comfortable, but I’ll stand up in front of everybody and they can stand behind me and I’ll keep marching forward.

“So, I won’t waver in that, but again, I think anybody to have 16 first-team players missing, that’s not like 12 and four kids or six and ten kids. This is 16 first-team players missing. It’s a challenge in itself. So, yes, I think so in terms of that, but we’ll just keep moving forward.”

Rowley’s message to supporters

Rowley also said that fans were within their rights to express their feelings, positive or negative, after his side were booed off after the defeat to Toulouse last time out.

Referencing a question he was asked straight after the match, Rowley said: “Well it was a mischievous question thereafter about the booing and then there was a strapline that said ‘cagey’ response. I thought the question was mischievous and loaded and I thought my response was clear and firm.

“So, it’d be the same again. We understand anybody who wants to show their emotion by booing or clapping and we accept it. So, we’re not going to challenge that at all.

“Of course, we’d like them to cheer because that means we’re winning and we’re successful and we’d enjoy that and we’d enjoy that journey with everybody. So, our intention is just to put smiles on faces and that’s our intention every week and it has been from week one. So, we don’t ask anything of anybody.”