Jackson Hastings has provided an insight into what St Helens fans can expect from fellow new recruits Nene Macdonald and Joe Shorrocks in 2026.
The Saints have been busy over the off-season, with Hastings being joined at the BrewDog Stadium by the likes of David Klemmer, Jacob Host and Shane Wright, alongside Macdonald and Shorrocks, to give the club a fresh feel heading into the new season.
Of course, the 29-year-old came across both Klemmer and Host while playing down under and he even had a little coming together with the former back in 2023 while playing for Newcastle Knights.
However, he has spent time at club level playing with both Macdonald and Shorrocks over his career and he knows what both men will add to Paul Rowley’s side. The half-back spent time alongside Macdonald as a youngster at Sydney Roosters, while he encountered Shorrocks during his time at Wigan Warriors.
As such, he knows all about their individual strengths and he is tipping them for success in the Red V.
“I played a lot of footy with Nene growing up at the Roosters, I played under-20s with him and a fair bit of first grade,” Hastings told St Helens’ club media. “He’s a special talent and he’ll bring something to the club that not many team in Super League will have, he’s big, powerful, athletic, fast and he can win a game on the drop of a hat. I’m excited to play with him.
“Talking about Joe Shorrocks, he was the best player on the field today [an opposed session against Swinton Lions] by a country mile. His work in the middle of the field with the ball was sensational.
“There’s some good 13s running around that can ball play but I think Shorrocks is really going to have an impact on the team, especially with the way Rowls wants to play. There’s a reason he was brought to the club, he wasn’t just brought because Rowls likes him, he’s a very good player, a very handy player, and I think he’s someone that Saints fans should really watch closely this year.
“I think his deception with the ball and how he brings other middles onto it, the way he holds it, and little intricacies like that, I think he’s going to be very valuable for our team moving forward.”
Hastings took the opportunity to give Saints fans an idea of what they can expect from himself, too, as he prepares to make his return to Super League after spending the last four seasons in the NRL.
“I’m the type of guy that’s going to just leave everything out there,” he added. “I’ve got a lot of personal pride in the way I play and the way I carry myself.
“I don’t want to be the star, I just want to fit into the team and play my role within that. I want to see blokes like Tristan Sailor be the star and blokes like Jack Welsby to be the best player in the comp again. I think I can bring a lot to the team but it’s not about me, it’s about us.”
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