Paul Wellens has been forced to retire at 35 to safeguard his long-term health. The St Helens full-back said a hip injury in April has left him unable to even kick a ball around with his children.
Wellens said he requires hip surgery following the injury that forced him from the field during St Helens’ defeat to Wigan on Good Friday – a game that proved to be the last of his 495 appearances for the club.
A former Great Britain international, Wellens is second only to the Leeds captain Kevin Sinfield on Super League’s all-time appearance list and will retire having won every domestic honour in the game with the club since making his debut in 1998.
“Ultimately it’s the right call,” Wellens said. “My quality of life has been affected with this injury to the point where it had become debilitating and common sense has to prevail at some point and you have to call time on your career.
“It’s a considerable operation on my hip but I need it and it’ll be able to return me to a normal lifestyle. I’ve got three children who like me to have a kickabout with them in the garden and that’s not been possible with this injury. To get that sorted and have some sort of quality of life return will be sufficient enough for me.”
Wellens said the problem has been plaguing him on and off the field for the past year, yet he played through the pain barrier to captain the club to Grand Final success against Wigan at Old Trafford last October.
“I’ve had an ongoing hip problem for around 12 months and tried my hardest to battle on through,” he said. I had injections last year to get through it – which was more than worth its while when you consider what we achieved – but in the early stages of this year I started to struggle with it again and that culminated with me leaving the field at Wigan on Good Friday.
“I knew something was substantially wrong there and I want the fans to know I have exhausted every angle possible in trying to find a way to get fit and playing. I still feel I can offer a lot to the club if my body would allow me to but sadly I can’t.
“I came off the terraces as a teenager to pull on the St Helens shirt, and I went on to live the dream in representing this club. To do it for so long has been fantastic, and that’s something that is not lost on me. I’ve exhausted every avenue to get fit, and I’m grateful for the club in giving me the best support possible whilst I did that.”
He will remain with the club in a coaching capacity next season, and the St Helens chairman, Eamonn McManus, believes Wellens has the potential to follow in the footsteps of the coach Keiron Cunningham, who progressed through the club’s coaching setup himself after retiring.
McManus said: “He will be remaining at the club in a coaching role from 2016 and I’m sure that will evolve into even greater things – he’ll be at this club a lot longer than I am.
“Paul goes down as one of the greatest players and leaders in the history of the club. He has won every honour in the game, and more, during his staggering 17 years of success with the Saints.
“He drove the team and the club forward and into a new era, which started with a remarkable Grand Final win against the odds at Old Trafford last year. The emotion etched on his face at the end of that triumph against Wigan will forever be remembered.”
Leeds Rhinos have signed the Australian prop Mitch Garbutt from the NRL side Brisbane Broncos with immediate effect to boost their squad for the remainder of the season. The 26-year-old has signed a two and a half year deal with the Super League leaders.
