St Helens’ interim coach Eamon O’Carroll will not be at the club in 2027 but he’s confirmed that conversations are ‘ongoing’ regarding the possibility of the club signing a new half-back.
A nailed on half-back pairing has been an issue as St Helens for some time, something that O’Carroll would admit himself, but with veteran Jonny Lomax and NRL recruit Jackson Hastings both off-contract, as well as the revelation that youngster George Whitby has suffered an ACL injury, it’s fair to say that Saints’ 2027 half-back room looks very light.
Tristan Sailor is contracted through 2029 but where his best position is remains unclear, whilst Harry Robertson has recently been deployed in the halves as a stand-off but there is no clear scrum-half in the senior squad for next year, beyond Whitby.
Speaking at his presser on Thursday, O’Carroll confirmed that Whitby had suffered an ACL injury, something that’s likely to rule him out for nine months, possibly more, and that saw him pressed on the club’s 2027 plans in the halves.
“I think them conversations are ongoing,” he responded when asked if it was time that ‘decisions need to be made in the spine’.
O’Carroll admitted: “I think the club’s fully aware of the situation and look, we may as well be honest that it’s probably been a bit of an issue for the last couple of years, hasn’t it?
“One thing that I’ve got confidence in is the conversations that I’m involved in and the club are fully aware and want to sort of get after that in terms of recruitment, but there’s also a bit there where they’re a little bit nervous about bringing the right people in, not just the right player.”
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Having admitted that the club are ‘fully aware and want to sort of get after that in terms of recruitment’ seemingly confirms Saints’ interest in a half-back for 2027, whether it be an extension of Jackson Hastings’ contract or a new signing.
Meanwhile, the Red Vee still have 2026 to worry about given that they can still make the play-offs, despite those chances looking slimmer by the week.
A loss for Leigh Leopards against Leeds Rhinos and a win for St Helens against Wakefield would see the Red Vee just two points outside the top six, and with a fixture list that gives them the opportunity to take two points off Leigh in round 26, O’Carroll’s side are still a live chance.
What may stop them could be their injury issues, leading to O’Carroll being asked if the club intend to dip into the transfer market before next week’s deadline, as Leeds Rhinos have done when signing NRL man Matt Lodge.
O’Carroll admitted: “With the bit that I mentioned earlier about holding your nerve, I think getting the right coach in in place first is probably the priority for the club, so we can have a say in terms of who they’re going to be signing.
“That’s not to say if the right player comes up we won’t go and sign him, but it’s got to be someone who we feel is right for the long term. Leeds have done it with Matt Lodge because they’ve got some sort of security there in terms of who’s going to be coaching for the next couple of years, so it’s good to be able to do that. I think for us we’d have to be absolutely certain that they’re the right person.”
