Given a chance due to injury and suspension, it is now the form of Konrad Hurrell that is keeping him in the St Helens team and those performances are giving Paul Wellens’ headaches over the Tongan’s contract situation.
Konrad Hurrell is among the biggest Super League names that is off contract at the end of the current season with the centre’s stay in Super League currently set to end with the conclusion of the 2025 season.
Hurrell is in his third season with St Helens after arriving from Leeds whom he joined ahead of the 2019 season. A fan favourite at Headingley, the move to The Totally Wicked Stadium has led to his cult status decline at Leeds but soar with Saints.
The Hurrell-Cane has played in nine of Saints’ eleven Super League games this season and with three tries in his last four and a whopping 203-metre performance against Castleford Tigers last time out, he’s certainly among the hottest off-contract stars in Super League.
As such, St Helens and Paul Wellens have a big decision to make on the 32-year-old.
Will St Helens offer Konrad Hurrell a new contract?
Speaking after the huge 60-4 win over Castleford Tigers, Paul Wellens told the media that he “absolutely” wants to keep Hurrell for next year should that form continue.
Asked if the Tongan’s future should be with St Helens, the coach responded: “Absolutely, if he keeps playing like that. Konrad’s biggest challenge has always been keeping himself fit and keeping himself on top of his physical capabilities.
“When he does that, he’s as effective as anyone in the competition. What you saw in Konrad tonight is a culmination of a lot of sacrifices that he’s made throughout the course of pre-season and early on in the season.”
As now reported by the St Helens Star, Wellens revealed that contract discussions are set to continue with Hurrell and others, but ultimately the Red Vee’s coach has admitted “it’s going to be very hard not to keep him around”.
They reported: “We’re having a lot of discussions with a number of players in recent times and those conversations will continue with Koni and all the other players.
“What Konrad needs to understand is if he keeps on working hard, keeps on the right side of his fitness and keeps impacting the games in the way he did on Friday, then it’s going to be very hard not to keep him around.”
Part of the reason that Hurrell is now looking more and more likely to earn another contract, barring his impressive performances, is that it is a problem position for St Helens.
They signed Waqa Blake from the NRL prior to the 2024 season and he has found success in recent weeks and is actually the club’s second-highest try scorer behind Jack Welsby in Super League this season, but much of Blake’s success has come on the wing.
Should Saints retain the Fijian, he may adopt that position permanently with Tommy Makinson widely reported to be leaving the club and St Helens having also reportedly missed out on replacement Tom Davies.
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