Former St Helens boss Paul Wellens has opened up on how his switch to North Queensland Cowboys came about as he prepares for the start of a new season.
Wellens spent three years at the Saints helm before he was let go by the club at the end of the 2025 season. That was a decision that brought an end to his career-long association with the Merseyside outfit, with Wellens making almost 500 appearances for the Saints before his retirement as a player in 2015.
However, just a month after leaving the Brewdog Stadium, it was confirmed that he had joined the Cowboys in the NRL as an assistant coach. It was a move that caught plenty of people by surprise and even Wellens admits he didn’t see it coming, but the 46-year-old insists the switch to Townsville has given him a new lease of life.
“It’s a bit different from what I’ve been used to but it was a wonderful opportunity that came up for me in North Queensland and I’ve really settled into the place well,” Wellens told Sky Sports. “The staff, the players, everybody at the club has been so welcoming and I’m relishing the opportunity.
“It wasn’t a move that I saw coming to be quite truthful. Obviously my time came to a close at St Helens and thankfully the phone rang, I had a couple of conversations with Todd and then the CEO Michael Luck discussing the possibility of me moving out to Australia.
“Obviously when you’re doing that with a young family you have a lot of things to consider, but after careful consideration we thought that in five years’ time if we didn’t take this opportunity it would be something that we’d regret, so I’m thankful I have and I’m looking forward to what the future holds.
“When my circumstances changed at St Helens, I was thinking about what’s next and this opportunity came along. I didn’t want to be out of the game or our of coaching for too long. I’m reinvigorated and refreshed after a short break and the new opportunity has given me a new lease of life.
“I’m not going to lie, it’s been a challenging few years but I think the change in circumstances, while it was disappointing at the time, it could be a positive in the long run.”
Wellens was speaking while out in Las Vegas, as the Cowboys prepare to get their NRL season underway at the Allegiant Stadium in the early hours of Sunday morning. Todd Payten’s side have trained against Hull KR in Nevada and they’ll follow the Robins’ clash with Leeds Rhinos when they take on Newcastle Knights.
“It’s a great opportunity for us as a club to show what we’re about and the same could be said for the other five clubs taking part,” Wellens added. “It’s a wonderful opportunity and you’re very privileged in the game of rugby league to have life experiences like this that don’t come around that often. It’s one we’re looking forward to but the weekend will be defined by a win and a loss and that’s what we’re focusing on.”
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