Paul Wellens says his side’s downfall started with Michael Shenton injury – Rugby League
Paul Wellens, who has been co-captaining St. Helens with James Graham for almost a year, while talking to reporters said that his side’s 16-32 defeat against Leeds Rhinos at Old Trafford was due to Michael Shenton’s untimely shoulder injury.
Wellens himself walked off the field after sustaining a leg injury just eight minutes into the second-half of the game. He was soon joined by Shenton, which created a downward spiral for the Saints.
While speaking about Shenton’s unfortunate injury, Wellens stated, "Things conspired against us. Losing Michael Shenton was a huge blow, a real killer for us. Defensively on that right side he's been fantastic all year. It disrupted the side. Both myself and Shenny leaving the field wasn't ideal, but more so Michael Shenton. I was struggling with my Achilles - I was on one leg - and probably benefited the team when I went off because I thought young Tom Makinson had a fantastic game. But Leeds have got a lot of quality players and you have to give them credit."
Rhinos were met with a formidable force on field as their opponents managed to convert Leeds’ 8-2 lead at half-time. After the break, when Wellens was sent off-field to be replaced by Makinson, the scores were reverted with Saints’ gaining a lead of 16-8. This late surge has been accredited to the combined efforts of Makinson and Shenton.
The Saints’ lead did translate into a victory for the Saints, because Shenton was ousted from his on-field role after his shoulder injury.
The Saints’ Skipper acknowledged that his team responded well to their first-half trial but their advantage did not last very long.
With Saints defeat during the Grand Final showdown, James Graham, who co-captained the club with Wellens, would not receive the perfect send-off from Super League. His case was exactly the same as their former captain, Keiron Cunningham, who departed on a low note from the same position.
Graham was too depressed to say anything at all because his squad wanted to put an end to the run of four successive defeats at the hands of Rhinos in Old Trafford.
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