Super League approves 2027 injury salary cap dispensation

It is something that would have helped alleviate the severe pressure Saints had on their squad last term with a series of long-term injuries relentlessly afflicting senior players from the opening week of the season.

The move removes players who suffer an injury or illness that results in missing eight consecutive salary cap-relevant matches from that club’s salary cap for the period they are injured.

Once the player returns, even if he becomes re-injured, no further dispensation will be available unless he misses a further eight consecutive salary cap-relevant matches.

It is designed to ensure that clubs have an opportunity to bring in a replacement player where a player suffers a long-term injury or illness whilst not increasing player welfare issues, such as forcing younger players not on cap, eligible and not ready, to have to play.

Had such a rule been in play last year, Saints would have been able to get a dispensation on 12 players – two of them twice.

No player sums up Saints’ annus horribilis more than club captain Matty Lees, who played just five games last season after being injured in his first match wearing the skipper’s armband up at Workington in the Challenge Cup in early February.

He missed the next 12 games before making his first of his three Super League appearances of the season on April 16 but then suffered a season-ending patellar tendon injury in the Challenge Cup semi-final defeat by Wigan.

That ruled him out for Saints’ final 17 games of the season – and under the new system, both periods would have triggered a salary cap dispensation.

Jack Welsby’s dislocated shoulder in round one of Super League at Warrington was also particularly damaging – that ruled him out for the next 10 matches.

Again, the dispensation would have been triggered.

Other players whose injuries would have resulted in the club getting a cap dispensation are as follows:

Daryl Clark, who needed surgery on foot ligaments damaged in the defeat at Magic on July 5 and missed Saints’ last 10 matches.

Loose forward Jake Wingfield suffered a ruptured ACL in the home game against Catalans on April 10 and missed Saints’ remaining 21 matches.

Matt Whitley, who suffered a wrist ligament injury in the Warrington game on June 11 and was sidelined for Saints’ final 13 matches.

Jonny Lomax had two lengthy spells on the sidelines – an eight-week absence from February and then 10 weeks out following a double jaw fracture from the game against Warrington on June 11.

Jacob Host missed 14 matches following a broken leg in the Bradford Bulls game on March 7 returning on June 27.

Young winger Owen Dagnall missed the last nine matches of the campaign after suffering an ACL injury on July 12.

Deon Cross also missed a run of nine matches with a bicep injury from June 11.

Mark Percival endured two spells out, missing seven matches from March and a run of 10 from June 21 to September 4.

Similarly, only one of Curtis Sironen’s two long spells would have qualified – missing eight matches from March 14 and seven from July 19.

And young prop Noah Stephens, who sustained nerve damage in the game at Castleford on May 23, missed Saints’ final 15 matches of the 2026 campaign.

Players who had frustrating – and often multiple – spells out include winger Lewis Murphy, whose runs of three, seven and four consecutive matches would not have secured a dispensation.

Neither would any of Nene Macdonald’s three injury spells, his in and out year featuring absences in runs of seven, five and five matches.

David Klemmer missed a run of seven with broken ribs, while George Delaney missed the last seven with a season-ending shoulder injury.

To illustrate how the injuries ate into the squad in 2026 here is the list of league and cup appearances from the first-choice squad from the 31 matches.

St Helens appearances 2026 season.

1. Jack Welsby 21.
2. Kyle Feldt 11 (departed).
3. Harry Robertson 29.
4. Nene Macdonald 13 / Mark Percival 9.
5. Deon Cross 19 / Lewis Murphy 15 / Owen Dagnall 17.
6. Tristan Sailor 31.
7. Jackson Hastings 26.
8. David Klemmer 24.
9. Daryl Clark 18.
10. Matty Lees 5.
11. Shane Wright 29.
12. Curtis Sironen 13.
13. Joe Shorrocks 28.
14. Jonny Lomax 14.
15. Alex Walmsley 21.
16. George Delaney 20.
17. Jake Davies 23.
18. Jacob Host 16.
19. Jake Wingfield 5.
20. Noah Stephens 11.

Injuries meant opportunities knocked for a host of youngsters who would probably not have had this level of first team exposure and experience otherwise, including Jacob Douglas who stepped in when Feldt left.

Standing out among them were second row Jake Davies, who played 23 times, and young hooker Tom Humphreys on 14 appearances.

New recruit Daniel Suluka Fifita effectively replaced Agnatius Paasi in the squad and played 13 times.

Young half-back George Whitby, alas, was limited to just eight appearances before succumbing to an ACL after an earlier knee injury.

SLE also approved a new regulation with regards to a young player dispensation, designed to enable clubs to trial younger players in 2027 in Super League or allow them to cover injury issues without significantly placing pressure on a club’s salary cap.

It is designed to only be available for players aged 23 or under on January 1 of the season in which they play and those players must not have played any salary cap-relevant match for any club in a previous season.

Under the proposal, the player may play two salary cap-relevant matches without counting on a club’s salary cap.

If they play between three and five, they would count on the cap at 50% of their salary cap value.

Any further match appearances would result in the player counting at the full value on the cap.