St.Helens R.F.C. is thrilled to announce that talented young half-back George Whitby will remain a Saint until at least the end of the 2028 season after signing a new four-year contract!
George Whitby is proudly sponsored by S&R Fire Protection Ltd.
A lifelong supporter of St.Helens, 18-year-old Whitby is a proud product of the world-renowned Saints Academy having come through both our Under 16 and Under 18s development programmes before joining the First Team full-time in the summer of 2024.
The former Blackbrook Royals junior played a significant role in the Saints Academy in the last two years, which has included the 2023 Academy Championship title victory, and in 2024 he was appointed Captain of the team. It was a huge honour for George to lead the Saints out in the 2024 Academy Grand Final where we fell just agonisingly short of a back-to-back title.
Whitby also earned representative honours as in July 2024 Paul Anderson chose him to be the England Academy Captain for a mid-season international against France.
To close out his time as an Academy player at St.Helens’ 2024 End of Season Awards George Whitby was issued the Under 18s Player of the Year award. A thoroughly deserved achievement for leading our young team and upholding our Club’s standards within the group.
As part of his progression and taking the opportunity to play in successive weeks more frequently, Whitby featured for the St.Helens Reserves team in the last two seasons but was a regular starter and key player in Derek Hardman’s Saints Reserves title-winning team in 2024.
After finishing his A-Level studies Whitby moved into the First Team environment and one week after getting his results he earned the chance to play for Paul Wellens’ team, making his official Club and Super League debut at home against Hull KR. Despite the result, it was a special day for Whitby and his family when the young half-back scored and converted a try in front of the West Stand at the Totally Wicked Stadium, giving our supporters perhaps a glimpse to our future.
Throughout his time with the Club so far Whitby has proven himself to be a strong goal-kicker in general, registering an astonishing; 103 goals for the Academy, 37 for our Reserves team, and going back further to his Scholarship days he kicked 32 conversions.
On the back of his first professional, full-time Pre-Season, Whitby is eager to earn more senior match minutes, full of pride and motivation that our Club believes in him to be an important part of our Saints squad in the future.
A delighted George Whitby spoke to saintsrlfc.com and said: “It’s a huge honour and privilege to represent this club for four more years. I’ve loved the journey so far and I’m just really happy to keep learning and keep progressing as a young player. I’m really happy that I’ve managed to secure my place here.
George Whitby becomes our fourth talented youngster to ensure his long-term future with the Saints, with Owen Dagnall, Noah Stephens and George Delaney also signing new deals at the Club.
With a strong group of youth all wishing to stake their claim to be a starting St.Helens player for the First Team, it makes for a highly competitive and motivated environment, as Whitby explains.
“The transition is a lot easier when you have young players of a similar age coming through the system as well. It makes you hungry to go and prove a point. That is the aims of all the young lads. In Pre-Season we’ve been together as a group, that friendship has always been there, and it’s helped us come to the other side and ready to make a stand for ourselves.”
As a half-back Whitby has great mentors to learn from with; our Assistant Coach Lee Briers and our Club Captain, one of the best in his position, Jonny Lomax offering guidance and support to the 18-year-old.
“Being in my position and a legend of the game, I think I am just like a sponge to Briersy [Lee Briers], and I want to learn as much as I can from him. He’s always coming to me after training and giving me little tips, positive feedback, as well as constructive feedback.
“Ever since I’ve come in the First Team Jonny [Lomax] has been a massive influence. As I’ve stepped in, he’s always given me that reassurance and allowed me to pick his brain. He is someone that I look up to as a player.”
Summing up his excitement to have his long-term future at the Club he loves secured, George Whitby urged our brilliant fanbase to keep on bringing the noise for him and his fellow teammates in the year ahead.
“I’d love you to keep supporting us. It means the world as a homegrown player coming out representing Saints and St Helens, and I’m really excited for what this club can go and achieve in the near future. Keep supporting, I think we’re going have some really good success, we’re all working hard behind the scenes, and I know it will pay off in the future.”
Head Coach of St.Helens First Team, Paul Wellens added: “George lives and breathes rugby league. I think he is one of the few players in sport that when he has a day off, he’s disappointed, but that’s just George in a nutshell. He is always wanting to improve, and he feels that our environment at Saints is a place where he can improve, which is hugely pleasing.
“He is a very likeable character, laid back but always willing to learn. George has a really great temperament, which is always a good sign for a scrum-half. You only have to look at the friendly against Salford earlier this year, he came on and made an impact in a positive way. A small sign of what George is capable of.
“He has a huge future ahead of him in the game, he just needs to continue working hard and apply himself as he has been doing.”
