THE news that Jack Welsby has signed a new deal that will keep him at Saints until at least the end of 2027 will bring some welcome Christmas cheer.

The Star’s Mike Critchley asked Saints head coach Paul Wellens his thought’s on securing one of rugby league’s most prized assets for the next four seasons.

MC: Jack’s signing is not just a boost for the club but for the game over here, isn’t it?

PW: Absolutely, given what Jack is as a person and as a player and the fact he is probably one of the most sought after players so for him to commit his future to the club is great news.

MC: As one of your younger leaders, Jack’s decision to extend gives you a strong commitment and some continuity going forward over next few years.

PW: Absolutely. Jack is already a well-respected leader of this group in his own right and that was highlighted by the fantastic opportunity he got to be the captain of England.

It shows that it is not only ourselves who think so highly of him but when he goes into other environments as well he is impressive.

Jack is already, at such a young age, a role model for a lot of players, particularly young players in our scholarship system who can look at someone like Jack and can see what can be achieved.

In a number of ways he sets an example and for us to get him tied down long-term is such a massive boost.

St Helens Star:

MC: There was a lot of media speculation about a switch to the NRL, but was this signing always in hand?

PW: We have always conducted ourselves in a professional way and have dealt with Jack’s management team before and they are nice people to deal with.

In that respect it’s been easy but as you can imagine there’s probably a lot to consider for a young player like Jack when making a decision on his future.

What we were very keen to do was be patient and allow him time to think about what he wanted.

But ultimately Jack didn’t need to think too long and hard.

He is happy where he is and enjoys his football and despite the fact that he’s been hugely successful in his career, he’s very determined to add more silverware and win more things with this club.

MC: Having made his debut at 17, he’s got quite a few years under his belt, but he’s still got plenty of learning in him?

PW: Year-on-year he continues to improve and get better. With the team, certainly in the last year, there’s been a bit of changing dynamic for us with senior players moving on.

That means that Jack’s influence on the team becomes even more important next year.

I think he’s ready for that challenge of being a leader in the team and has shown those qualities for a number of years now. And with the rest of the leadership group we are in a good position to take the team forward.

MC: The Saints fans had a slight scare with Jack being linked with the NRL and some probably feared the worst? This news will make people bounce into Christmas won’t it?

PW: Absolutely. It’s probably, the thing that was top of the wishes for Saints fans writing their Christmas list.

It will give everybody connected with the club a huge boost.

What it has shown again is despite the challenges of retaining the better players - and it is becoming more difficult – as a club we have managed to do just that.

Jack joins a long list of players now who have committed their long-term future to the club despite having interest from elsewhere.

That shows that it is an environment they want to be a part of.

And they are obviously determined to achieve more special memories.