St Helens superstar Jack Welsby ends NRL speculation by committing long-term future to Super League club
Making supe
St Helens ace Jack Welsby has brought an end to speculation surrounding a potential move to the NRL by committing his future to the club, signing a new long-term deal until the end of the 2027 season.
The 22-year-old was already contracted until 2025, but has now added two years on to that after a great deal of speculation of a switch Down Under over the last few weeks.
Welsby debuted for Saints in 2018, and over the five years which have followed, has well and truly earned himself the ‘superstar’ tag having won everything there is to win in this country.
Scoring the infamous winning try in the 2020 Grand Final against hometown club and Saints’ bitter rivals Wigan Warriors after the final hooter, the youngster lifted the Challenge Cup in 2021, and also has numerous League Leaders’ Shields to his name.
Surpassing a century of senior appearances in the Red V in the season just gone, Welsby kicked off the year scoring a try against NRL champions Penrith Panthers as Saints became the first English side to win a World Club Challenge Down Under in the Super League era.
Captaining England this autumn against Tonga after starring at last year’s World Cup, the full-back’s rise continues, with tonight’s contract news official confirmation he’ll be sticking around in Super League for the foreseeable future.
Welsby’s new deal was exclusively revealed by the player himself on Sky Sports News this evening.
St Helens superstar Jack Welsby ends NRL speculation by committing long-term future to Super League club, signing new deal until end of 2027
Speaking to Saints’ club website, the 22-year-old says he’s hungry for more success with the club before he even considers moving on. Welsby said: “I am over the moon, I’m glad it’s done with now and I can get my head into pre-season and the New Year.
“It was a decision I had to make and I’m glad that I’ve made the decision that I have. I’m going to be around all my best mates and a really good club.
“Everyone at St Helens expects to win trophies, whether it’s the fans, the players, the coaches, or the backroom staff. Everyone’s expecting for you to go out and win at the weekend and then win on the big night at Old Trafford.
“That sort of expectation, it’s hard sometimes, but it’s what I want, I want that pressure and that’s where I feel like I play my best rugby.
“The NRL’s a massive competition and everyone sees it as that, but I believe that Super League can be that and we’ve just got to work towards it.
“Sometimes the speculation that comes with the NRL and stuff is not just as simple as going to sign at a different club, it’s a lot of things.
“It’s on the other side of the world, it’s tough and the timing’s got to be right – it’s got to be perfect. But for me, it was always going to be St Helens.
“I want to win things again. I think last year was a massive disappointment and the way it ended for Robes (James Roby) and Louie (McCarthy-Scarsbrook), two of the greatest players this club has ever seen, was a horrible feeling.
“I don’t want to feel it again, so we have got to sort of pick ourselves up, work hard this pre-season and find the results.”
