KEVIN WALTERS TO JOIN ST HELENS AS HEAD COACH FROM 2027

St Helens announced that Kevin Walters, the current Australia head coach, will join the club as head coach from the 2027 season on a three-year contract. Walters, 58, will remain with the Australian national team through the World Cup scheduled for October and November before taking up the position at Saints. He guided Australia to a 3-0 victory over England during last year's Ashes series.

Walters has previous experience in Super League, having coached Catalans Dragons, and holds an extensive background in the NRL with Queensland and Brisbane Broncos. As a player, he won six NRL Premierships, made 20 State of Origin appearances, and earned 11 Test caps for Australia, including a place in the nation's 1992 World Cup-winning team. St Helens chairman Eamonn McManus stated that Walters' experience at club and representative level made him an attractive appointment and that the coach had made "major career sacrifices" to join the club.

Interim head coach Eamonn O'Carroll will remain in charge until the end of the current season following Paul Rowley's departure in July after less than a year in the role. St Helens currently occupy seventh place in the Super League table with three matches remaining and are at risk of missing the play-offs for the first time. McManus noted that O'Carroll had performed well under challenging circumstances, including managing significant injury problems throughout the campaign.