ALTHOUGH they still have a fair bit to do to secure a place in the first team, it is nevertheless pleasing to see the continued advancement of the two Welsh youngsters Calvin Wellington and Regan Grace.

And it is great to hear coach Keiron Cunningham’s glowing appraisal of the pair ahead of the start of the new Super League season.

Grace is an absolute flyer - and in rugby league nothing gets spectators out of their seats more than a quick man racing down the wing, swerving outside the despairing clutches of the full back and then motoring for the line.

I am sure his continued advancement will put pressure on current incumbents Adam Swift and Tommy Makinson, no slouches themselves and both very able crowd pleasing finishers.

Wellington is developing, too, and it is good to see that his head didn’t go down after having the misfortune to make his debut at Magic when the rest of his more senior colleagues failed to turn up.

Both are a fine example of the club’s scouting abilities, casting the net wider than the borough to bring in some additional talent.

It is a different approach to the way Saints used to raid the Welsh rugby union ranks.

Some of Saints’ finest players have hailed from Wales — admittedly we can all name three or four who were not worth the money and if there had been a free gangway would have been given their BFH.

But on the whole Saints mined a lucrative seam in South Wales - and no team during the best years of the 50s, 60s and 70s was short of a Welshman.

Countless players have ‘come north’ over the decades and many of those settled in the town and are still here decades after they have hung up their boots.

Just for fun, here’s a Saints Welsh XIII selection drawn from the last 70 years.

1. Glyn Moses.

2. Steve Llewellyn.

3. Scott Gibbs

4. Don Gullick.

5. Roy Mathias.

6. Jonathan Griffiths.

7. Bob Prosser.

8. John Mantle.

9. Reg Blakemore.

10. Kel Coslett

11. George Parsons.

12. John Warlow.

13. Ray Cale.

Subs: Frank Wilson, Mervyn Hicks, Graham Rees and Bobby Wanbon.

Here’s hoping Messrs Wellington and Grace, if they keep their heads down and carry on working hard, can keep up this great tradition in the red vee.