SAINTS chairman Eamonn McManus says the club needs to win silverware this year after two seasons in which they have just fallen short.

He is happy with the club’s recruitment this year, in what he describes as an increasingly tough marketplace.

And he hammered home that a good start and more consistent performances are needed in 2017 and was looking forward to the wingers getting the ball in their hands. He was particularly excited by the addition of NRL centre Ryan Morgan to complement Mark Percival.

McManus said: “We are going into the year with two genuine centres with speed and footwork.

“As long as we can keep them on the park and fit through the season, that will bring a lot of new opportunities of the way we can play the game with the ball getting into the hands of the wingers more often than we have been used to.

“I think we are all pretty excited about that.

“You don’t want to just see your wingers as first receivers, you want them getting the ball on the wing and scoring the tries like they have been doing for 120 years of rugby league.”

Having brought in five new players — Matty Smith, Morgan, Tommy Lee, Adam Walker and Luke Douglas – McManus was pleased with the team’s balance.

“The professional recruitment market in rugby league gets tougher every year, the differential between Super League and the NRL plus the fact that everybody is spending up to the salary cap means we can no longer cherry pick.

“So I am happy with not just the quality of the players, but also the maturity and leadership aspect that they bring.

“We have a much better balanced squad with a better chemistry in it.”

Saints won the League Leaders Shield and Super League double in 2014, but that is the club’s only success in the past eight seasons.

For a team that made routine visits to Wembley since 1996 and eight-year wait seems an eternity.

“We have got to look at silverware this year, as well as more consistent performances and not folding in key stages of games,” McManus added.

“Ultimately we want some silverware – that is what this club is all about. That is the minimum aim every year and it is the same case this year.

“We have got to win things and if we don’t have that objective our standards will slip.

“We have not had much luck over the last couple of years in certain respects and we have to take that into consideration.

“But ultimately St Helens is always judged by silverware.”

He was happy with the squad that has been assembled - although they will have to overcome the temporary absence of Smith who broke his leg in the Widnes friendly.

But after last season, he stressed the importance of a good start to the campaign.

“It is something that we have to get right because it really does affect the mood of the fans and then that has a knock-on effect on the players and becomes a bit of a vicious circle.

“Winning the big games – the Good Fridays and the Challenge Cup games that really do set the tone for the season.

“It is not all about how you end. That said it is going to be a very tough season. “Leeds will be back definitely and a full strength Leeds are capable of beating anybody.”