Stylish Rowley keen to give St Helens a licence to thrill

ByMatt Newsum

BBC Sport Rugby League journalist

With his 'silver fox' grey hair, love of a smart suit, hint of tan and playing-days maintained physique, St Helens head coach Paul Rowley would make a decent James Bond.

Unfortunately for the 50-year-old, Hollywood will have to wait. He is a little busy with an important mission of his own.

Rowley has been tasked with steering Saints from 'Skyfall' and the 'Spectre' of past achievements which have haunted recent trophy-less Super League seasons, into a team that rediscovers its licence to thrill.

Hopes are he can be the 'man with the Midas touch', as Shirley Bassey once sang.

After he cast his imprint on Leigh by guiding them into Super League and helped establish Toronto Wolfpack in their early years, Rowley then made unfashionable Salford an entertaining, swashbuckling challenger to the top four.

This is his biggest lead role yet.

"I think the difference between the teams that pull the trigger and who don't is confidence and backing yourself," Rowley told BBC Sport.

"I don't think it's skill or ability, it's backing yourself and having the licence to play.

"The players have the licence, basically."

By his own admission, Rowley is more a 'cup of tea and biscuit' kind of bloke than a man used to sipping Martini - 'shaken not stirred'.

Although someone who prefers the quiet life with his family by nature, Rowley has already experienced the goldfish bowl intensity of rugby league in St Helens, and enjoyed the interactions with those for whom matchday is the highlight of the week.

His appointment for Saints has been met with near universal approval in WA9, a popular choice for supporters who have come to expect a flourish of flair to their rugby league.

In addition, the former England international has relished the chance to work with elite talent such as Jack Welsby, Alex Walmsley and Tristan Sailor, and for some stability after the chaos of Salford in 2025.

The Red Devils were part of a takeover saga which engulfed their entire season, saw numerous players depart and finished with their liquidation.

It came after back-to-back top six finishes, with fourth place in 2024 highlighting his impressive work.

"We were never a big club [at Salford] in terms of resource and infrastructure, but that was what made it fun," Rowley added.

"But again, it's the character. If you can bring that same sort of work ethic at a big club with the resource and the club facilitating success it can get you over the line.

"Every club has characters, every club has a group of lads and people who want to win and work hard.

"We're from northern towns, it's the fabric of the people in them and we're no different; the difference in clubs is the magnitude of the expectation and the interest in the town.

"St Helens have not really had a football club to share with its population, so the biggest thing in the town is the rugby club. That's evident. You can feel it and it's tangible.

"It's good that people are so willing and wanting for us to do well. I love the fact the people of St Helens are so aligned."

Saints have made some big plays in the transfer market for 2026 in their bid to revive their title aspirations, with big forwards such as David Klemmer and Jacob Host bringing punch to the pack, and Nene Macdonald adding extra strike out wide.

Former Man of Steel Jackson Hastings' arrival added a strong dollop of control and creativity to the mix too, reuniting Rowley with a player he worked with while on Salford's staff and a genuine playmaker.

Australia-born Hastings, 30, has played some of his best rugby league in the northern hemisphere, and counts his second home of England as a place where he can get his headspace right.

His new boss is another key factor in that positive mindset.

"He never gets too high when we do something good or too angry when we're not great," Hastings told BBC Radio 5 live.

"To have that mental fortitude as a coach to stay even throughout the game, or when training sessions fluctuate, is something he's always been good at.

"Everyone talks about his sides and how they move the ball, but I think him as a person, he's pretty even with his emotions and that's something I really enjoy being around.

"For me, as someone who fluctuates a bit, having someone who's really calm has been great."

Hastings had to stand and applaud Saints as they beat his Salford and Wigan teams in back-to-back Grand Final losses in 2019 and 2020.

Now, he's combining with long-standing Saints icons such as Welsby, Jonny Lomax and Walmsley on a daily basis, players at the heart of those disappointments.

"You can see why they've been successful, they train hard, they're disciplined, and they all do the little things that make you a great player, a great person and ultimately a great team," Hastings said.

"They do the things that you require to be successful and that's been great.

"We're trying to establish a new culture and everyone has bought into that."

Not even 'club legend' status was enough to save Rowley's predecessor Paul Wellens from being ousted as Saints coach after last season, despite reaching the play-off semi-final, and winning the World Club Challenge in his first season in charge.

The stakes then are high, but nothing less than expected at a club of St Helens' standing.

"It does feel like a mega job," Rowley said. "But, I'll be honest, when I was coaching at Leigh or Toronto or Salford, I never wanted another job.

"I wanted to win with whoever I represent and saw whatever club I was representing as a big club. It's a defiance.

"Yet I can't be ignorant to the fact that this is a big club because history says it's a big club.

"I'm aware of that, I'll acknowledge it, I'll embrace it and I'm very fortunate to be coach."

Never too up, never too down. Rowley's balancing act could be the approach St Helens need to rediscover their success.

"We're going to fire shots this year no doubt and we're going to fire them again and again until they hit essentially," Hastings added.

"There's being calm in the chaos but also backing our ability, and it's not a risk for us because we've trained it over and over again.

"Whether it comes off or not is one thing but we've worked on it all pre-season and we've got a guy at the helm that believes in it and believes in us.

"We've just got to believe as players and do it at the weekend."