St Helens legend James Roby has made the decision to step down from his coaching role at the club and pursue a new career path.
Roby will not cut ties with the Saints completely with the former hooker staying on as a club ambassador, but he will not be involved in an on-field capacity for the first time since joining the club as a teenager.
Roby spent his entire playing career with St Helens and won six Super League Grand Finals, four Challenge Cups and two World Club Challenges. And, after making the decision to hang up his boots at the end of the 2023 season, he took on the role of St Helens’ leadership, culture and performance coach.
However, after two seasons in the backroom staff, he will move into a different career away from St Helens.
“I feel the time is right,” Roby told the club after making the decision. “I’ve been at the club for such a long time, and I actually made this decision quite a while back and informed the club earlier in the season that I’d be moving on. It’s just time for me to take on a fresh challenge, test myself, and use the experience I’ve been so grateful to receive at St Helens over the years.
“I’m sure I will still be around, and I’ll still be coming to home games.
“I’ve been at the club my whole adult life and have nothing but good memories of everybody involved. I’m forever thankful to the players, staff, fans – everyone who makes this club what it is.”
On his time coaching, he said: “It’s been eye-opening and very rewarding in terms of learning new things. I played for 20 years and didn’t understand the sheer amount of things the staff deal with behind closed doors.
“From a rugby player’s point of view, you don’t always mix with those in hospitality, events, finance, retail, or marketing, whatever it may be, but all involved abide by the same values we do as players, and all care deeply about the club.
“I’ll be forever grateful that I’ve been able to be a part of the staff team. This club is the beating heart of the town, and I’ll be forever grateful to have been able to represent St Helens and see how proud people are of the club.”
Saints CEO Mike Rush added: “James has been just as brilliant as part of our staff as he was as a player. It’s not a goodbye, as we will continue working with James and iron out some future work, but all of us at the club would like to wish him nothing but the best for this new, different chapter.”
