SAINTS may have an unfilled number 3 jersey, but the man who has played right centre for most of the past two years has returned to training determined to regain that shirt.

Konrad Hurrell resumed training the week before Christmas after spending some of the off-season back home in Tonga.

And coach Paul Wellens says Hurrell has returned in good shape and is hitting all of his markers after the back end of last term was derailed by leg injuries.

Wellens said: “Konrad is an experienced player. He knows where he is at and what he needs to do to keep himself fit and on top of his game.

“It was really unfortunate for him at the back end of last season that he picked up a couple of lower-limb injuries which affected his ability to go on the training field and run.

“One thing Konrad needs to do is be out on the field and be training and running. That is what we are hoping to get now in pre-season.

“He has done all of the right things in the off season to look after himself physically whilst he has been away.

“His markers are exactly where we would expect them to be and now, like the rest of the team, he needs to put himself in the best shape possible to start the season well.

“When Konrad has been fit he has been a real asset to the team and pivotal to the success of the team in recent times."

Hurrell has enjoyed two seasons at Saints since joining from Leeds Rhinos, playing 48 times as first choice centre. 

For comparison Will Hopoate, who has vacated the number 3 shirt, played 31 games in the same timeframe with just 14 of those at centre with the remainder on the wing or at full back.

Hurrell's 2023 was derailed badly by a calf injury against Leeds at the end of July which sidelined him for six weeks, and then he suffered a re-occurrence in the opening minutes of his return at Wakefield.

Although he returned to action for one game at the season's end, he was off the pace and overlooked for the play-off games and was dropped to the Reserves.

Hurrell's fitness in late 2023, combined with Hopoate's end of year retirement, has understandably created a debate on how to fill that void in the Saints side.

And it is one Saints continue to stress they are seeking to fill with the right player, but as things stand a fit-again Hurrell remains first choice until that changes.    

Wellens said: “I can understand the talk about the number three, we have a vacancy there that we are looking to fill, but Konrad – as we sit here now – is our starting right centre at the start of the year.”

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Wellens expects the veteran Tongan three-quarter to be better for his break, and suggests a few other players may be in that category.

"It was the end of a really challenging year for a lot of the players – Konrad being one of them," he said.

"Him getting the opportunity to return home and visit Tonga, a place that is really close to his heart – will really help him.

"It has helped him freshen the body up, freshen the mind up and come back with a real motivation to get back playing well again in 2024.

"As we have seen in numerous times, Konrad Hurrell at his best is very hard to handle at times."