St Helens coach offers ‘hopeful’ update on new Jackson Hastings contract

St Helens coach Paul Rowley has insisted he and the club remain hopeful Jackson Hastings will agree a new deal with the club beyond this season.

Hastings joined the Saints on a one-year deal at the start of this campaign, and has been an impressive figure for the club in their rise to the top of the Super League table.

With Leeds Rhinos confirming that Brodie Croft would leave the club earlier this week, it has arguably brought into focus the future of players like Hastings, given how he is also off-contract in six months’ time.

But Rowley has appeared to suggest that all parties are confident a deal will be done that will ensure Hastings has at least one more year with the Saints in 2027.

When asked about Hastings’ future, Rowley commented: “We’re hopeful but the people in the background are getting stuck into that and I think everyone seems quite relaxed about it.

“Jackson and ourselves, we’ve got a good relationship and we’re not overly stressing about it to be honest.”

The Saints’ contract situation

A clutch of senior players are off-contract at the Saints by the end of this season though some of them, including Lewis Murphy and Joe Shorrocks, have already agreed to remain into 2027 and beyond.

But Hastings is arguably the biggest name on that list given his form this season – as well as the fact there are a string of clubs looking for high-profile options in the spine.

They include the Rhinos – with Brad Arthur confirming in his pre-match press conference this week that Leeds would weigh up their options in terms of heading into the market for a replacement for Croft.

Other clubs are also set to push hard for a big-name half-back – with Hastings definitely fitting the bill in that regard after his impressive start to the season in Super League, having returned to the competition from the NRL over the off-season.

St Helens set for key return this week

On the pitch, the Saints face Castleford Tigers in West Yorkshire this Saturday as they look to cement their position at the top of the Super League table.

And they will be given a significant boost for that game, with centre Mark Percival confirmed as a returnee for Rowley’s side.

They have managed the veteran centre carefully since he has recovered from injury but all the signs point towards Percival featuring at Wheldon Road this weekend. Rowley said: “Percy will feature this week so I’ll give you some clarity there. He’ll feature. 

“He gives us strike, experience and some selection headaches. It all gets more complicated and more exciting as well. But I have to downplay it because to keep expectations lower, he’d been out for a long period of time. That impacts what we put on the bench and how we rotate certain players.”

Winger Kyle Feldt is also in contention having sat out last weekend, despite being named in their 21-man squad for the win against Huddersfield Giants last Thursday in West Yorkshire.