Our 24-year-old utility talks about his desire to get even more First Team matches under his belt, and the team's hunger to bring home silverware in 2025.
Ben put pen to paper on a contract extension for the 2025 season alongside three of his peers, so this coming year will be his sixth at the Club since joining our Reserves ranks in 2020. In that time Ben has displayed his both passion to play rugby league for our club and his versatility by putting his hand up for number of positions in the Red V.
Often named as the 18th-man on the team lineup on match days in the last couple of seasons, Davies knows it is a spot that is tough as it is so close to taking to the field. In 2025, Ben is gunning to make it hard for Head Coach Paul Wellens to keep him out of the match day seventeen.
“I just want to play more and more games for St.Helens,” Davies told saintsrlfc.com.
“It’s tough with the high level players we have in our team, at centre we have Koni [Hurrell] and Percy [Percival] for example. Whenever I get a chance I want to prove I can play at this level, I know I can, and I’ll be fighting for game time and in games when selected – 100%.”
Wellens, and many of his Saints teammates have credited Ben highly for taking on the 18th-man role and giving all he can, as it shows his attribute to be a true team player.
“Obviously you want to be out there in the seventeen, but you still have your job to do, help everyone be prepped and ready for the game. I do everything I can in that 18th man role because if you don’t then there is no point you being there. You’re still part of the team and need to be ready to be called upon if needed.
“Well, ‘team first’ is one of our mottos that we as a team stick by. Everyone strives to do that, and the more I can drive that, the more it shows others to our younger lads to put the team first in all scenarios. We are all just driving one another to keep getting better in that.”
Proud to represent St.Helens with our Reserves too, Davies played a big role in the team that secured the Reserves Grand Final victory over Wigan Warriors in September. It was a sweet win for all, especially Ben who got to play with a close friend one last time.
“That [Reserves Grand Final] win was great, to be part of a team to do that and trying to help our younger lads also be show they can be at First Team level, it just shows the Reserves is really competitive too.
“That win meant a lot, I got to play with Sam Royle, me and him have been together for four or five years now, so seeing him lift that silverware on his last match for the club – that was sweet.”
The Saints are now heading into the festive break, after five tough and hard-worked weeks full of intense, brutal sessions to gear up and right a number of wrongs from last year, as Ben explains.
“2024 was a tough year for everyone, and we’re really excited to rip into next year and this Pre-Season.
“We spoke about it [2024] in meetings and reviews at the end of the year, now we’re even hungrier to drive towards silverware next year. That is going to be the focus, as it always is at Saints, and in Pre-Season it will be our goal to get well-prepared so we can go for finals and get silverware. That will all come from being consistent throughout the year, and the focus is well and truly on doing just that.”
