St George Illawarra has opened talks with St Helens to bring the star many regard as the best in the Super League, fullback Jack Welsby, over to the NRL to become a key spine player for the Red V into the future.
Welsby has long been considered one of the best Englishmen in the game, though he’s only 22 years old, with a highlight in his fast-rising career coming earlier this year when he played a key role in St Helens’ stunning World Club Challenge victory over a dominant Penrith Panthers squad that would go on to win three premierships in a row.
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Incoming Dragons coach Shane Flanagan is particularly interested in Welsby because he can play fullback or five-eighth; both positions the club could certainly upgrade in if they want to sign big names over juniors.
The club is also quietly confident if they can sit down and pitch plans to Welsby, they could convince him to join as soon as 2024. That same belief stretched to St Helens releasing him early.
There is a spanner in the works though: the Telegraph claims Welsby just re-signed with St Helens.
According to the News Corp publication, a “secret” negotiation was recently wrapped up that will see Welsby stay in the English red and white until at least the end of the 2028 Super League season. The report adds: “Welsby’s new deal contains no out clauses, which means the only hope an NRL club has of signing Welsby before 2028 would be to pay a significant fee.”
Whether the cash-flush Dragons would be willing to fork out a transfer spend for the 22-year-old remains to be seen, though Flanagan is reportedly quite interested in the star and has been watching him since even before his success at the 2022 World Cup.
Welsby has also spoken several times about wanting to play in the NRL before he retires.
“I’m contracted at Saints for two years so my main focus at the minute is keeping myself fit, keeping myself right… but I’d be lying if saying NRL is not something that interests you and testing yourself against the best,” Welsby admitted during an interview with James Graham on his Bye Round podcast just last weekend.
He went on to add: “It is an interest, isn’t it? It’s a decision I’ll come to if it ever pops up.”
