![\"Hull](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AW7_6384-2.jpg\")
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St Helens head coach Paul Wellens has outlined how the club can deal with the loss of two key forwards for Friday\u2019s game against Wigan Warriors<\/a>.<\/p>\n George Delaney was handed a one-match ban<\/a> after the loss to Hull KR, whilst Morgan Knowles failed a HIA<\/a> within that game so is also ruled out for the clash with rivals Wigan.<\/p>\n Knowles has been one of the best players in Super League in 2025, something that Wellens once again underlined today when speaking to the press, whilst Delaney has gained more and more minutes as the club\u2019s first interchange forward.<\/p>\n Being down two middles against a Wigan pack that is very deep is a problem that Paul Wellens needs to find solutions for and he\u2019s explained that the club do have options, even though Delaney and Knowles are \u201cnot easy players to replace by any stretch of the imagination\u201d, according to the Saints coach.<\/p>\n St Helens coach confirms plans to replace Knowles and Delaney<\/p>\n One option looks to be recently returning second-rower Joe Batchelor who stepped into the void last week, whilst fellow second-rower James Bell also looks set for a first appearance since August 17th.<\/p>\n Wellens explained: \u201cI thought Joe Batchelor, although he\u2019s an edge back rower by trade, I thought he come onto the field in the middle on the weekend and do a really good job for us.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s certainly an option, we might have to be a little bit creative around how we interchange rotations, we\u2019ve been down a couple of middles, but that\u2019s something we\u2019ve dealt with in the past, and it looks like we might have to do it again this weekend.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a good chance James Bell will come back into the team, so that certainly helps us, given the fact that Morgan Knowles is out.\u201d<\/p>\n The St Helens boss explained the club\u2019s need to be creative as he pointed to the injuries to like-for-like replacements Noah Stephens and Jake Wingfield, however, he did share an update on those two and recent loan signing Shane Wright.<\/p>\n Wellens explained: \u201cShane\u2019s not far off and Noah Stephens isn\u2019t far off. Jake Wingfield may be a chance for the back end of the year, we\u2019re just not quite sure there yet.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are players doing all he can to try and put himself in a position to contribute and help the team. But guys like Shane and Noah, for example, are probably a week, maybe two weeks away.\u201d<\/p>\n He also confirmed that barring \u201cbumps and bruises\u201d, all other players came through fine against Hull KR so it could be a case of a similar 17, albeit with Knowles and Delaney replaced by James Bell and another player.<\/p>\n One of the \u2018creative\u2019 solutions Wellens pointed to was how Alex Walmsley may be used, stating: \u201cWe\u2019ve done it a bit this year with Alex Walmsley, for example, to play the short stints at the start of the game and then come back on again just before half-time.<\/p>\n \u201cThat can be effective when you are missing middles. There\u2019s other different options that we could potentially use. We have to be adaptable as coaches.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/srl-logo.png\"\/){kind=logo}
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