st helens rugby league players
These colours however were dropped in favour of a more traditional to today, red and white design. [62] They didn't have long to wait for trophies as St Helens won the Lancashire Leagues, in 195253,[63] The 1953 Championship final against Halifax was held at Manchester City's Maine Road ground; in front of a crowd of over 50,000, Saints won their second Championship 2414. [247] Situated, prior to their recent move to Widnes, in Eccleston and Thatto Heath, a lot of support naturally derives from that area. [199], At the end of the Super League XXIV regular season, St Helens won the League Leader's Shield for a second consecutive year after finished 16 points clear of second placed Wigan. Hall of Fame honours past players who have graced the club from their inception in 1873. On 26 February 2011, Warrington Wolves beat St. Helens for the first time in 10 years ending the Saints Hoodoo over the club. Since the inception of Super League in 1996, they have won the title on eight occasions, and have added seven Challenge Cups to their five previous successes. In the 1961 Challenge Cup final against Wigan, the strip still seen todaythe famous red Vwas first utilised. [177] This prevented Saints from reaching the final at the new Wembley Stadium for a third successive time and from winning the cup for a fourth time running. is a professional rugby league club in St Helens, Merseyside who compete in the Super League, the top tier for rugby league in Great Britain. However, in 2008, St Helens were given a warning letter from the RFL, as a result of the ensuing licensing system that was to be introduced into Super League in 2009, stating that the quality of their current stadium was too poor for the expected quality of a licence in the league. [206], Before the start of the 2023 Super League season, St Helens travelled to Australia for the 2023 World Club Challenge. ", "Saints vs. Wigan Head-to-Head Since 1895", "Emmitt: Dual System Is Giving Me Confidence", "Toronto Becomes Second CRL Domestic Club", "Original St Helens R.L.F.C.Supporters Club", "RedVee.Net The N1 Independent Saints Website Sponsored By Hattons Solicitors", https://www.seriousaboutrl.com/super-league-average-attendances-for-2018-revealed-and-its-not-good-reading-18712/, "Super League average attendances for 2018 revealed - and it's not good reading! This new crest drew criticism from large sections of the St Helens faithful, who were afraid of the club losing its connection to the town to attract a wider fan base.[286]. [159], Daniel Anderson saw his new team become the first team to top the Super League and fail to reach Old Trafford in 2005. [61][111] However, his spell as coach was not nearly as successful as his spell as a player, and St Helens won nothing whilst under Coslett's command, finishing mid-table in both seasons. Since 2015 St Helens' kit has been supplied by O'Neills. The club also have something of a fan base forming in the Far East, with fans from Singapore and Japan.[250][251]. Academy graduates, Jon Bennison (27), Lewis Baxter (28) Jumah Sambou (30), and Taylor Pemberton (31) along with new signing Danny Hill (29) round out the squad numbers. [41] One year after the Challenge Cup's dbut at Wembley, St Helens reached the final there where they were defeated by 10 points to 3 by Widnes in 1930. Since then, more than 1,200 players have appeared for the club's first team. St Helens won the match 2412, to win their fourth final in a row, and by doing so, they become the first team in Super League history to win four in a row. Listen: Hull KR v Leeds & St Helens v Wakefield. Saints re-open on 25 December 1918 and are beaten 20 points to nil by St Helens Recs in a friendly fixture at City Road. Despite such high honours, when speaking to those who have played with him, worked with him or lined up against him, they all highlight the one aspect of Roby they admire more than anything else: his humbleness. JUST. The fixture was played at the Saints temporary home at Widnes. "I love lining up behind him as we walk onto the pitch and seeing his name in front of me. Roby has worked under 10 different head coaches at his hometown club, including Justin Holbrook, who coached St Helens in 2019 when they secured their first Grand Final victory in five years. [202], On 17 July 2021, St. Helens won the Challenge Cup for the first time in 13 years beating Castleford in the final 2612. Background. But St Helens' youth roots do not stop in the St Helens area. [179] A trophyless year for the first time since 2003 was another catalyst to Potter's critics abusing and slating his appointment, with even rumours of rifts within the changing rooms. St Helens: Welsby; Makinson, Hurrell, Percival, Bennison; Lomax, Dodd; Walmsley, Roby, Lees, Batchelor, Bell, Knowles Interchanges: Lussick, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Paasi, Wingfield Wigan: Field;. He is widely regarded not only as one of the greatest St. Helens players of all time, but also as one of the best rugby league players of the Super League era. is a professional rugby league club in St Helens, Merseyside. 2004 saw a double curvy red V used, before, in 2005, yet again tradition was reverted to in the design and this design was used until 2009. Formed in 1873, St Helens are one of the 22 original members of the Northern Rugby Football Union founded in 1895. Keiron Cunningham. After competing as the fiercest of rivals, O'Loughlin and Roby then lined up alongside each other for both England and Great Britain, the experience of playing with Roby living up to what O'Loughlin had hoped. [77] The 1965 New Zealand tourists appeared at Knowsley Road on Wednesday 15 September. Remarkably, the first encounter between the fierce rivals ended in a 00 draw at Knowsley Road,[215] The games were traditionally played on Boxing Day, however were moved to Good Friday, during the busy Easter period in rugby league. [190][191] He would additionally take up a coaching role with the academy, as well as a strength and conditioning role with the first team. [105] The club won the Premiership in 1977,[106] but, on 13 December 1977, Saints lost 2611 to Hull Kingston Rovers in the final of the BBC2 Floodlit Trophy. [154] In this season, they failed to win a trophy after being knocked out of the Challenge Cup by Leeds at the semifinal stage, and the Super League playoffs by Wigan at the same stage. only to lose out to the Leeds Rhinos in the final, 1810, making the Leeds Rhinos the only team to win the Grand Final three times consecutively. More early examples of players that made the grade following on form their stints in the academy and reserves (previously known as the "St Helens Colts") include Steve Prescott,[209] Paul Forber,[210] Gary Connolly,[211] and Chris Arkwright. [171] James Roby, however, became the second St Helens player, and homegrown talent in two years to win the Man of Steel Award. A look back as St Helens edged out Catalans Dragons 12-10 to win Super League's Grand Final in 2021. ST HELENS vs HULL FC - Rugby sevens is another type of rugby that has just seven players per side. [33][34][35][36][37][38][39], The club defeated town rivals the Recs in the Lancashire County Cup Final by 10 points to 2 in the 192627 season. After the great schism of 1895, and St Helens joining the NRFU, their first game at Knowsley Road under traditional rugby league rules was against Rochdale, in front of 3,000 spectators. Another Saints Academy product in Lewis Dodd will take over the number seven to form an all-British, all home-grown half-back pairing with Jonny Lomax. [83] This would be Coan's last year in charge at St Helens after a highly successful period as boss. In both sides first year in coexistence, St Helens finished yet again in a disappointing low midtable finish. Konrad Hurrell will wear the number 23, previously worn by other overseas stars in the recent era such as Ben Barba and Lachlan Coote. Bradford Bulls became the second team to complete the women's treble a year later in 2017. . In the week leading up to the World Club Challenge game against Penrith, many pundits, former players and coaches predicted St Helens would lost the match heavily with Phil Gould stating "Penrith should be allowed to declare at half-time". Indeed, club legend Keiron Cunningham signed for the club from Wigan St Judes,[242] and Saints also look to clubs like Wigan St Patricks and Orrell St James in the Wigan area, and Halton Farnworth Hornets in the Widnes area for youth talent. His personality and relationship with the fans was an additional reason why St Helens fans were disgruntled in him leaving after four years in charge and why next boss Mick Potter faced a fair amount of criticism in his initial period as boss. "His defensive efforts and tackling is always talked about but what isn't always talked about is the way he is always in the right place at the right time supporting people and his passing skill and technical ability is world-class and he is a world-class bloke. St Helens won the Challenge Cup for the first time in 13 years as they overturned a half-time deficit to beat Castleford. "He is the easiest player to work with as a coach. [3] The first match of the new code was an 83 win at home to Rochdale Hornets before 3,000 spectators, Bob Doherty scoring St Helens' first try. [193] Defeating Huddersfield Giants in the qualifying semifinal in the 2010 play-off series by 4222 not only saw Saints qualify for their fifth Grand Final in five years, but also saw the final ever game to be played at Knowsley Road. "His competitive and tough nature is hidden by how humble he is as a man. [15] Promotion was gained at the first attempt,[16] only for another poor year to see them finish once again in a relegation position. Also in rugby league there are no rucks, mauls, or line-outs. The club moved from the City Ground in 1890 where they had shared with St Helens Recs when neither were members of the Northern Rugby Football Union. In the shortened 19181919 season, St Helens played only nine times. [61][114] Not in-keeping with several of his predecessors, Benyon did not enjoy any success in his first season as St Helens coach, losing the Lancashire Cup final of that year to Warrington. The 31-year-old St Helens player believes the recent moves by Hollie-Mae Dodd and Georgia Roche to sign professional deals in Australia's NRLW heralds an exciting opportunity to improve the game . The death of former rugby league player Bryn Hargreaves, who went missing in America over a year ago, has been confirmed by his family. St Helens play their home games at the Totally Wicked Stadium in St Helens, having moved from their previous home, Knowsley Road, in 2012. [145] Ian Millward was appointed as Hanley's successor as head coach. They also won the 1953 Lancashire Cup, beating Wigan 168 at Swinton, the first time the two old rivals had clashed in a major final, Saints. Over a twolegged game, St Helens won 9211 on aggregate. However, Cunningham would not be leaving without leaving a lasting legacy on the club. [153] They were hammered in the 2003 World Club Challenge by Sydney by 38 points to 0. . [137][150] Millward then lead Saints to the top of Super League VII, and to reclaim the Super League title in the 2002 Grand Final,[151] Sean Long snatching a last minute 1918 win over the Bradford with a dropgoal. [303], 18 players have had benefit years or testimonials at St Helens, organised jointly by the club and the RFL. Bernard doesn't appear as often as Boots, with Boots being a more child-friendly image for the club, while Bernard retains the 'seriousness' of the mascots role to the club.[292]. [5] They became known as St Helens Rangers up until the 1880s. In 1997, yet another change of design that was controversial[according to whom?] "Some players are quality on a club level and it is a privilege to get to know them and play with them for England and he was everything I thought he would be on the international stage: unassuming in the way he went about his business but with a level of skill that goes under the radar. Women's team squad profiles. They, however, lost to Widnes in the Premiership Final at Old Trafford at the end of the season, further showing this team's ability to get to finals and not be able to compete on the best stage. With assistant coach Kieron Purtill also leaving, the coaching reins were taken up by youth coach Mike Rush for the remainder of the 2012 season, with Keiron Cunningham acting as his assistant. Rugby League; Rugby Union; Snooker; Swimming; Tennis; . Players are listed alphabetically. St Helens R.F.C. [18] The Champion fortunes that St Helens fans' greet today were certainly not apparent in this period, with the club finishing fourth to bottom in 1907,[19] third to bottom in 1908,[20] and consistently midtable between 1909 and 1913. Williams, Pearce-Paul and Welsby are the only members of last year's Rugby League World Cup squad involved too, yet Wane is enjoying working with a new group which he hopes will form a. Indeed, many of St Helens current and past squads call areas like Widnes, Wigan, Cumbria and Oldham home. One of the finest finals of the Super League era was anticipated,[195] but the flamboyant Saints that the fans saw so rarely under Potter once more failed to materialise, and, in front of a near sellout crowd of 71,526, they fell to a 2210 loss to rivals Wigan. After retiring from professional rugby in 2015, Wellens has been involved with the St Helens coaching staff and has said it has only made him appreciate Roby more as a leader. [44] This was the same season that they won their second Lancashire League,[45] the first coming in the 192930 season. Sullivan took Saints to their first victory in the Challenge Cup final (against Halifax in 1956),[7][64] On Saturday 24 November 1956, St Helens inflicted a touring Australia its biggest ever defeat with a 442 win. Evans' first full season in charge at the club saw him win the club's eighth Lancashire Cup in 1968; winning 1310 against Warrington after a replay. [204] They then went on to defeat Catalan Dragons 1210 in a hotly-contested Grand Final, securing the club's first league and cup double since 2006 and an historic 'three-peat' - becoming only the second team in the summer era to win three consecutive championships. Platinum Club Partners Umbro remained the club's kit suppliers until 1994, when Stag took over. Rhyse Martin, who has looked more likely than anyone to brings Leeds back into this, scores after some neat passing between him and. [156], Millward's reign was not without controversy and his St Helens career ended controversially after he was suspended in May 2005. St Helens have also forged links with the Canada Rugby League (CRL) and their team Toronto City Saints, who have adopted the popular piece of St Helens insignia in their crest. Born in Warrington Rudge attended Cardinal Newman High School and first played rugby league for a local Warrington club before joining Thatto Heath Crusaders. [168] Here, St Helens successfully defended their Challenge Cup by defeating Catalans Dragons 308 in the final on 25 August 2007. [65], The following year saw Saints win the 1956-7 Lancashire League 195657[66] and they won it again in 195859. Jim Challinor took over from Cliff Evans in 1970, and in his first season, he won the Championship,[89][90] and reached two finals, the Lancashire Cup and Floodlit Trophy, losing both. On 9 August 2009, St Helens reached a record ninth consecutive Challenge Cup semifinal,[176] where they were beaten by 24 points to 14 by the Huddersfield Giants. In 2012 the Wolves beat St. Helens in the Grand Final elimination clash at Langtree Park to book the Warrington Wolves a place at the Grand Final.[239]. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for ENGLAND 3rd TEST TEAM PHOTO & ST HELENS RUGBY LEAGUE REVIEW VOL:3 NO:34 1949 at the best online prices at eBay! 2. As the club awaited completion of the new stadium, all home fixtures in 2011 were played at the Halton Stadium in Widnes, effectively meaning St Helens were forced to play an entire season of away fixtures. St Helens won the 2006 Challenge Cup Final at Twickenham Stadium, beating Huddersfield 4212. In 1895 the club were one of 22 clubs that resigned from the Rugby Football Union and established the Northern Union. In July, they beat Super League rivals, Bradford,[167] to reach the first Challenge Cup final at the new Wembley Stadium. So the contest between the two can be doubted as a historical or traditional one. [26], During the First World War, St Helens struggled to compete and failed to complete the full fixture list of the Emergency War League on two occasions,[27][28][29] with the club finishing midtable in the first year of the war,[30] as well as being beaten by 37 points to 3 by Huddersfield in that year's Challenge Cup Final. In their initial period at Knowsley Road, St Helens wore a similar jersey, but the stripes were horizontal, and the colours were blue and grey. This was used until 2010,[283] when the club decided to unofficially rebrand to "Saints RL", to coincide with them leaving Knowsley Road, and going "on the road" to Widnes for a season. However, as Saints became a more national institution, they decided that a more recognisable badge needed to be adopted. [188][189] The 2010 season would also see legendary hooker and captain Keiron Cunningham retire from the game after 17 years with his one and only club. @Saints1890 The OFFICIAL Twitter feed of the current World Club Champions and #FOURmidable @SuperLeague Champions | Saints Women: @saints1890women | #COYS Sports, Fitness & Recreation St.Helens saintsrlfc.com Joined November 2009 672 Following 115.3K Followers Replies Media [75] St Helens won the Western Division Championship under McCormick's rule, beating Swinton 107. BBC Sports Personality of the Year Team Award, BBC Sports Personality of the Year Coach Award, Learn how and when to remove these template messages, Learn how and when to remove this template message, List of St Helens RLFC international players, List of St Helens R.F.C. Between 1991 and 1994, a somewhat controversial and odd[according to whom?] The try scoring record is held by Tom van Vollenhoven, who touched down 392 times for the club. About our St Helens RLFC News. [71] In 1981, the club changed colours again, albeit temporarily, when Umbro designed and manufactured a Frenchstyle jersey of blue, with a white and red V. These colours were donned for two years, before the traditional colours were reverted to. 2023 . New signings Will Hopoate and Joey Lussick will wear numbers three and 14 respectively ,with Curtis Sironen taking number 16 and James Bell wearing the number 20. The new crest was in the shape of a shield, and featured the over lapping "S" and "H" that the previous logo featured, but also displayed a red vee within the design, and "Saints RL" in upper case lettering at the top of the shield. Since then, more than 1,200 players have appeared for the club's first team. [243] St Helens have also been known to loan fringe players to "less strong" Super League sides such as Salford and Crusaders and previously Widnes. [70] During this decade, the recognisable 'red vee' strip first appeared in 1961 for the final against Wigan. [133] They finished fourth in both of Hughes' seasons in charge. [147] They also won the Challenge Cup in 2001; 136 over Bradford,[148] with the final held at Twickenham Stadium for the first time,[149] and the 2001 World Club Challenge, earning a 2018 win over the Broncos. The Challenge Cup was launched in 1897 and it was St Helens who contested its first final with Batley, at Headingley, Leeds. The RFL, as well as the RFU, have had a. Latest news on the St Helens RLFC, an English Rugby League team that competes in the Super League. [32] The club's lack of success and disappointing league finishes continued for another seven seasons. St Helens had lead the match 12-0 until a late try by Penrith took the game into extra-time. Huddersfield Giants 12 St Helens 14. [244] Outside of rugby league, St Helens have forged partnerships with British Basketball League side Mersey Tigers,[245] and English Premier Ice Hockey League team Manchester Phoenix.[246]. The club reverted to this kit for one season during the rugby league centenary season in 1995. However, the season started with a terrible run of results, which culminated in Royce Simmons being sacked in March. [288] Previous main sponsors have included St Helens Glass (198687, 200001), McEwan's Lager (198798), John Smith's (1999), Caledonia (2002), Comodo (2003), All Sports (200405), Earth money (200607), Pilkington Activ (200809), Frontline (2010), Medicash (2011), Typhoo (2012 - 2016), RCMA Group (2017), and Cash Converters[289] (2018 - 2021). The 2022 Super League Grand Final was the 25th official grand final and championship-deciding rugby league game of Super League XXVII. This is a list of St Helens R.F.C. [156], St Helens followed up their Challenge Cup win by claiming the League Leader's Shield,[163] before cementing their reputation as the team of the year by defeating Hull 26 points to 4 in the Super League Grand Final. "He has time for everyone and is always there for anyone who needs him. James Roby will wear his number nine shirt for his 19th and final season in the RedV. Williams, Pearce-Paul and Welsby are the only members of last year's Rugby League World Cup squad involved too, yet Wane is enjoying working with a new group which he hopes will form a significant . St Helens R.F.C. [7][102] They also won the Premiership against Salford,[103] and the Floodlit Trophy against Dewsbury in a successful season. [67] ', James Roby hits 500 games for St Helens: 'He is undeniably one of the games greats', Savelio proud to be Hull FC's running man. St Helens R.F.C. Fittingly, Cunningham snatched the final ever try at the famous old ground in typical fashion from dummyhalf. Won caps for Wales while at St. Helens in the 1975 Rugby League World Cup against England, Australia, England, and Australia, in 1977 v England . Kel Coslett has made the most career appearances for St Helens, having . [97] No success was achieved in seasons 197273 and 197374, with St Helens finishing third and second in the respective years. In 2004 they beat archrivals Wigan 3216 at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff in front of a capacity crowd of 73,734 people to win the Challenge Cup,[155] Long gaining his second of an eventual three Lance Todd Trophies. Their jerseys were far more lightweight than what they had replaced, and they chose to revert to a more conventional fashion of red V in their designs. Additionally, Paul Wellens received the Man of Steel Award for the 2006 season. This would be Anderson's last game in charge of the club, as he announced he was to return to Australia and the Parramatta Eels of the NRL. This was utilised until 1985. In 2000, a more regular V was seen again. In 2006, the ground was treated to something of a makeover, after financial input from St Helens big money sponsors Earth Money. While at Thatto Heath she was first selected for the England women's national rugby league team in 2008, aged 16. As well as playing full-back for St Helens and England, the 27-year-old is an ambassador for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup in England and a Super League pundit on Sky.