St Helens spine options assessed with Paul Rowley facing key dilemma

St Helens once again find themselves in a tricky spine dilemma heading into 2026, with Paul Rowley’s squad numbers not giving too much of a hint as to possible solutions. 

The consistent chopping and changing of the spine became a big narrative surrounding St Helens towards the end of last season, with the likes of Tristan Sailor, Jack Welsby, Jonny Lomax and Moses Mbye changing positions on a near-weekly basis.

To put it simply, Rowley has to find his best combination, and quickly, if they want to improve on last year’s fifth-placed finish.

But, what does the full depth chart look like ahead of the new season? Well, here is our take on exactly that.

Full-back: Jack Welsby, Tristan Sailor

The spine dilemma stems from full-back, with Rowley’s selection here likely to have ramifications right across the unit. As it currently stands, Welsby seems in pole position to slot in here, given he retained the one shirt, but as mentioned above, the shirt numbers don’t give too many clues moving forward.

Both men are great full-backs in their own right, and are certainly more suited to the role than anywhere else on the pitch, but having both available does mean they can swap in and out on the pitch.

That sort of tactic was utilised towards the backend of last season, with Paul Wellens’ experimental use of two full-backs, but within Rowley’s system, you would expect them to potentially both float between the halves and full-back depending on the picture presented in front of them.

Welsby is more of a distributing threat, able to see pockets of space for those around him, while Sailor’s running threat could come to the fore slightly higher in the line.

Either way, it’s a big call to make, but Welsby does seem to be leading the way so far.

Stand-off: Tristan Sailor, Jack Welsby, Jonny Lomax

In a similar way of thinking, Sailor’s retention of the number six jersey suggests he could be seen as a stand-off in 2026, but you would expect him to rotate in and out with Welsby depending on the situation in front of them.

Rowley’s system is very well suited to this rotation. As we saw during his stint at Salford Red Devils, he likes his side to play quick, attacking rugby designed to target space. Within that, he often gave his number six a floating role to make the most of it, with both Brodie Croft and Jayden Nikorima shining as a result, and that could seriously free up both men to hit their straps.

Around them, Lomax will also be in the running to slot in at six, too, given his experience in this role. His handing over of the captaincy to Matty Lees does suggest he won’t be a regular starter this season, but he starred in the number six shirt in both the 2020 and 2021 Grand Finals and was a regular feature here as recently as 2024.

Scrum-half: Jackson Hastings, George Whitby, Jonny Lomax

While six is up in the air, and could easily be dependent on system or specific game plans, seven seems more clear-cut following the arrival of former Man of Steel Jackson Hastings. The former Wigan Warriors, Salford Red Devils and Newcastle Knights half will add so much quality and experience to this St Helens side, and could really thrive in Rowley’s system.

Rowley likes his number seven to be a touch more of a controlling figure, just look at Marc Sneyd in that Salford team for example, and that is certainly something Hastings will add to this squad, but his ability to also see gaps and ice the skill to get the ball there will really fit in with Rowley’s ideals of playing into space when it opens up too.

Around that, too, he also heads to the UK with a point to prove, after being put out in the cold last year with the struggling Knights.

With Hastings will likely slot in as the main starting option, George Whitby could be set to once again play second-fiddle.

The young gun proved a real talent during his senior appearances last season, both on loan for Halifax and for the Saints too, and he could very easily slot in somewhere else in this side too, but he seems set for another year of dipping between the second tier and St Helens’ first-team.

That could still prove such valuable experience for the youngster, as he simply needs to get senior minutes – of any kind – under his belt now.

Lomax could also be an option to slot in at seven, after retaining the shirt again this season, but will likely be that mentor figure within the current unit.

Hooker: Daryl Clark, Jonny Lomax, Jake Burns, Tristan Sailor

Nine seems more clear-cut, with Daryl Clark expected to again be the starting hooker, but it’s the options around him that offer some intrigue.

There is a suggestion that Lomax will be used in that ‘number 14’ role off the bench for the upcoming season, rotating in and out with Clark in the process, which could be a nice way to get him in the side.

Again, his experience will be so crucial for the likes of Whitby, but using him off the bench and at hooker could ensure the youngster also gets proper minutes under his belt at Super League level, which will only benefit him. Lomax’s own skillset, particularly his reading of the game, also mean he could do well at hooker.

Jake Burns could also look to push a claim to feature more regularly this season, while Sailor might also get a run at nine in a similar way to last season.

Loose forward: David Klemmer, Matty Lees, Jake Wingfield, Joe Shorrocks, Leon Cowen

There is a huge Morgan Knowles-sized hole in this St Helens side moving into 2026, but there are some good options to replace him. It seems Saints will again utilise this position as an extra prop on the pitch, rather than your link-play 13, which could lead to David Klemmer, Matty Lees or Jake Wingfield coming into the starting group.

Klemmer being handed the vacant shirt also suggests he is viewed as an option here, but we could see a lot of players rotate in and out of this position across the year.

Joe Shorrocks is also an option to feature at 13, and Rowley will know his game inside and out following their time together at Salford, while young gun Leon Cowen could also get some more senior gametime at 13 this season.

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