ST HELENS co-coach Derek Hardman is confident Caitlin Maylor and Mia Drescher will come back from their current exchange visit to Australia and push for more first-team action this year.
The duo are spending time with Redcliffe Dolphins’ Under 19 side as part of a female player-exchange partnership designed to enhance development.
Maylor stepped up to Saints’ first team last season and made five substitute appearances for the Grand Finalists while Drescher, who has now been officially promoted to the first team for 2026, featured twice.
But with the experienced gained in Australia, Hardman is expecting to see more from the pair when they return to the UK in April.
“Those two are loving it out there,” said Hardman. “The big message they’ve sent back so far is that the training isn’t actually that different, but it’s the environment of being able to train without having weather conditions against you and being able to embrace the lifestyle of being a Rugby League player that is (different).
“I think they are very brave for going out there at their age and living so far from home, and that experience will help them when they get back and are pushing for the team here.
“One thing you can’t put into people is life experience, so hopefully this trip has accelerated them a bit to what they want to achieve here.
“They are both very talented young players, but we are very blessed at halfback with Zoe Harris and Faye Gaskin.
“So we’ll drip-feed them in to the side. We don’t want to overawe them because there is an expectancy here – people always expect St Helens to be competing for trophies.
“It’s about protecting them a little bit and doing right by them, but they will play at some stage this year.”
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