Jack Welsby stars in derby win but how long can St Helens keep hold of their prized asset

Jack Welsby is worth his weight in gold to St Helens and he struck it rich once more on Friday night.

The 22-year-old Wigan-born full back produced a man of the match performance against his hometown club, scoring two tries and playing a crucial role in setting up others to mark his 100th appearance.

But the million dollar question all Saints’ fans among a 17,000 crowd at the Totally Wicked Stadium are wondering is how long they can hold on to one of their prized assets who is under contract until the end of 2025.

He is already on the radar of several NRL clubs who would snap up his services tomorrow if they could. However, Saints will fight tooth and nail to keep him on board when his next contract comes up for renewal and help bring more success to the club.

Wigan had no answer to his vision and flair and the final 34-16 scoreline reflected the gulf in ability of two teams tipped earlier in the season as potential Grand Finalists.

Saints’ boss Paul Wellens said: "For such a young player Jack’s maturity is incredible and his quality speaks for itself.

"Sometimes he wants to go out and show everyone how good he really is, but he has had to be patient in recent weeks and keep things simple. When he gets an opportunity, he grasps it and that’s what he did tonight.

"I told my group we are heading in the right direction and to forget about outside noises. We’ve had to do things differently this year given our experiences Down Under and also on the back of the World Cup.

"We’ve simplified our game in recent weeks and by keeping everything simple and playing to our strengths, we are tougher to handle."

But this was far from a one-man show as for the second week in succession the champions  produced an electrifying performance - dominating the Warriors virtually from start to finish and avenging their early season defeat at the DW Stadium.

The forwards, too, were awesome, putting their bodies on the line time and again  and restricting the visitors to a modicum of chances.

Wellens will be demanding more of the same in the weeks ahead, including Saturday’s Rugby League Challenge Cup quarter final at Hull FC.