Mata'utia & Royle to leave Saints at end of season

Sione Mata'utia and Sam Royle will both leave St Helens at the end of the season.

Australia-born Mata'utia, 28, was a key player in Saints' Grand Final wins in 2021 and 2022, the successful 2021 Challenge Cup campaign and the 2023 World Club Challenge triumph, after joining the club from Newcastle Knights.

The announcement of his departure comes the same day as Saints announced homegrown second row forward Sam Royle, 24, will also depart at the end of the current campaign.

Mata'utia, who has won international honours with both Australia and Samoa, has made 82 appearances for the club in his four seasons, scoring 18 tries.

He said his decision was a case of putting his wife and children first, and added he has nothing lined up in Australia.

"I’d love to stay for another 10 years here, but I have got a family as well," he told the Saints club website. "I’ve got a beautiful wife who looks after our kids when I’m always away, she takes all the wins and losses with me, as well as looking after our kids at home.

Scary

“It’s a big decision and I’m thankful to the club that they have given me a lot of time, but I’ve got to think about my family first.

"They’re my whole life and we’re going home which is exciting, it’s scary, I don’t know what’s going to happen going over there, I might even be potentially retiring."

Royle has played 28 times for the Red V, including spells during the club's Super League title wins in 2021 and 2022 - a season in which he also played three times on loan at Hull KR.

The Thatto Heath amateur product, who achieved a first-class degree in biochemistry alongside his rugby career, also captains the Saints' second string and led the side to victory in the Reserves Grand Final this year by beating Wigan Warriors.

Royle is the third homegrown Saints player leaving the club this season, after announcements that Lewis Dodd will join South Sydney Rabbitohs and Tommy Makinson is moving to Catalans Dragons.