St Helens have announced that club legend Mark Percival will hang up the boots at the end of the season, with the centre’s retirement now confirmed.
It marks the second major announcement from the club in a matter of weeks regarding a club icon retiring, with Jonny Lomax also set to hang up the boots at the end of the year.
Percival’s announcement now means that only Jack Welsby, Alex Walmsley, Curtis Sironen and Matty Lees remain from the 2022 squad that would go on to win the Grand Final.
Still only 32, Percival has been held back by persistent injuries in 2026, with the centre playing just seven times so far this season, though he will play this Friday night against Leigh Leopards.
That will be his 274th St Helens appearance with Percival debuting for the club back in 2013 and going on to win six Super League titles, one Challenge Cup, and a World Club Challenge, whilst also earning six caps for England.
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St Helens’ Mark Percival to retire at end of 2026 season
Mark Percival established himself as one of the best centres in Super League throughout his 14-year career and interim coach Eamon O’Carroll was keen to pay tribute when speaking in his press conference on Thursday.
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O’Carroll said: “When Percy addressed the a group today, you can see even more so, one, how much he cares, but how much the group care about him. And I include lads who’ve only been here for a season as well.
“He’s just one of them characters, it’s really hard to describe. If you’re down in the dumps a little bit or going through a tough period, you want to be around because he lifts everyone’s spirits, but when you go into war, you want him next to you, and that’s the type of character that he is.
“I think they’re probably a bit of a dying breed in our sport, those types of people, everyone just lives into bits. It is sad, but I think it’s something that we should celebrate for him, because he’s had a fantastic career, overcome some adversity, a lot like Jonny Lomax, but he’s been so important to this club and to this group as well, so we want to make it a special ending for him.”
O’Carroll was also keen to state and make clear that Percival’s decision to hang up the boots before new coach Kevin Walters takes charge is entirely coincidental, stating that it’s something that ‘numpties’ would think, as he clarified: “The kid’s not played most of the year because he’s been injured, so there’s certainly nothing in that.”
