PAUL Wellens still has a massive part to play at Saints – on and off the field – despite handing over the skipper’s armband.

And coach Keiron Cunningham believes the long-serving full back is just the man to mentor Jonny Lomax – his successor in the number one shirt.

The Saints boss believes Wellens’ hands-on input can help turn Lomax into one of the best full backs the game.

And although Cunningham stressed that the Grand Final winning captain, who has won every individual honour in the game wearing the red vee, still has a part to play on the field there is also a recognition that the team will slowly but slowly but surely learn to play without him.

Cunningham said: “Paul Wellens can still offer us a lot this year – he is still part of the playing squad and I don’t want people to get blurred lines with him not being captain.

“He is still going to be heavily involved and playing games.”

Some had already thought Wellens’ time had passed last year when he started most of the games at the beginning of the campaign on the bench.

But injuries to others, in the halves and most notably at full back, allowed Wellens his chance to show he still had something left in his locker.

Cunningham said: “Last year when Jonny got injured at Catalans I still knew we could make a massive push with Paul Wellens at full back. He went on and led us and lifted the trophy.

“I was a very big influence on our team when I played – when I finished the team generally missed me. Likewise now when Paul Wellens doesn’t play the team misses him because he does a lot of things.

“I would really like Paul to mentor Jonny Lomax and bring him forward seven or eight years.

“Paul never had a full back coach – he learned everything himself. But if Jonny could get mentoring from Paul then he could turn into one of the best full backs to have graced rugby league.

“It is a good challenge for us both, not to move on because Paul will still be here – but to learn to play without Paul Wellens and play with Jonny.”

With Wellens, who turns 35 next month, inching towards coaching it will lead to an even stronger presence of past players on the staff.

But Cunningham stresses that every appointment is made with the head not the heart, and it is not simply a congregation of Knowsley Road old boys.

He pointed to the impact that assistant coach Sean Long and strength and conditioning assistant Ade Gardner have already had on the squad – and feels that Wellens would have a similarly positive impact.

“I make decisions with head not my heart.

“Sean is a good coach and is here because of that, not because he is my friend. I knew he would influence the team and make it better – and he has,” Cunningham said.

“I also knew Ade would do a good job and influence the juniors – which, again, he has done.

“I don’t care what people think about it – I just know it is the right thing.

“For Paul Wellens to be around and be part of the coaching team is going to be super, because he not only is a great player and leader, but he is also a really intelligent guy who knows rugby league and he is going to make our team better.”