Paul Rowley: St Helens appoint Salford Red Devils coach

Analysis – Matt Newsom, rugby league journalist for BBC Sport

Rowley’s appointment should fill fans with excitement at the prospect of attacking rugby league given the evidence of his time coaching Salford, Toronto and Lee previously.

While the defensive steel was put in place by Wolff and continued under Wellens, the Saints have never quite lifted the handbrake to move forward in the same way since Holbrook’s departure after 2019.

Rowley’s side had flair as a trademark, and the manner in which his Salford side saw off the visiting champions-elect Saints in 2022 remains a masterclass in breaking down an elite defence.

Extremely popular among his players, Rowley has earned loyalty wherever he has coached, and it has paid off. Lee was led into the Premier League, establishing a brand new club in Toronto and in Salford that helped provide playoff campaigns as a regular occurrence before their off-field issues surfaced this season.

The Saints stint will be his biggest yet, but it’s a hard-earned opportunity after building excellent teams and making progress throughout his career.

To some extent, this is a different challenge to what Rowley is used to, which is getting the best from elite players such as Jack Welsby and a young Harry Robertson, rather than building a team from those who may not necessarily be considered at the top of the game.