Paul Wellens
Encyclopedia
Paul Simon Wellens is an English
multi-award–winning rugby league
footballer. Wellens plays for St. Helens in the European Super League
. Wellens is a Great Britain
and England
international. He has played for St Helens his whole career, operating almost exclusively at .
, Wellens attended De La Salle School St Helens along with his twin sister Claire.
Wellens broke through the St. Helens ranks to make his debut in the 1999 season. Success quickly followed and Wellens soon secured his place in perhaps St Helens strongest era. Wellens is renowned for his all round game, excelling particularly at taking catches. His reliability and consistent performances steadily gained admirers, showing maturity beyond his years.
already established at international level, Wellens displayed his versatility with spells on the and at . A call up for Great Britain
ensued, and he made a handful of appearances before being contentiously left out by then coach David Waite
, who felt Wellens' form had dipped during this period.
, establishing himself as one of the fans' favourites.
Wellens was also awarded the Harry Sunderland Trophy
as man of the match against Hull in the Super League XI Grand Final.
, in which Wellens bagged four tries. He was named in the end of season Super League Dream Team for the third season running. He also became joint winner of the Lance Todd Trophy award in the 2007 Carnegie Challenge Cup
final against the Catalans Dragons
at Wembley Stadium
, sharing the prize with Leon Pryce
.
. In 2011, Wellens was named joint captain alongside James Graham
.
, Harry Sunderland Trophy
, and the Man of Steel Award, they are: George Nicholls
, Joe Lydon, and Paul Wellens.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
multi-award–winning rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
footballer. Wellens plays for St. Helens in the European Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
. Wellens is a Great Britain
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
and England
England national rugby league team
The England national rugby league team represent England in international rugby league football tournaments. The team has now seen a revival, having largely formed from the Great Britain team, who also represented Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The team is run under the auspices of the Rugby Football...
international. He has played for St Helens his whole career, operating almost exclusively at .
Early career
Born in St Helens, MerseysideSt Helens, Merseyside
St Helens is a large town in Merseyside, England. It is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens with a population of just over 100,000, part of an urban area with a total population of 176,843 at the time of the 2001 Census...
, Wellens attended De La Salle School St Helens along with his twin sister Claire.
Wellens broke through the St. Helens ranks to make his debut in the 1999 season. Success quickly followed and Wellens soon secured his place in perhaps St Helens strongest era. Wellens is renowned for his all round game, excelling particularly at taking catches. His reliability and consistent performances steadily gained admirers, showing maturity beyond his years.
International debut
An England call up followed and with full back Kris RadlinskiKris Radlinski
Kris Radlinski MBE is a former English rugby league and who played for his hometown club Wigan Warriors throughout his career and also represented Great Britain. He is of Polish descent.-Playing career:...
already established at international level, Wellens displayed his versatility with spells on the and at . A call up for Great Britain
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
ensued, and he made a handful of appearances before being contentiously left out by then coach David Waite
David Waite
David Waite is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. He has also coached Great Britain in the Rugby League Tri-Nations.Waite holds a British passport, courtesy of his father being born in Leicester....
, who felt Wellens' form had dipped during this period.
2003 to 2005
With a point to prove, Wellens became one of Super League's most notable performers and made the number 1 jersey his own at international level. His attitude and aptitude to the game earned him a reputation as a model professional. As one of the quieter members of a squad littered with big names and personalities, it was all the more creditable that Wellens earned St. Helens player of the season award in 2004 to underline his value at Knowsley RoadKnowsley Road
Knowsley Road was a stadium located in Eccleston, St Helens, Merseyside. It was the home of St Helens RLFC from 1890 until its closure in 2010. St Helens Town FC played their home fixtures at Knowsley Road from 2002 until 2010. For a period, the venue also hosted Liverpool FC Reserves...
, establishing himself as one of the fans' favourites.
2006
2006 was to be a remarkable season that would see him stand alone as Super League’s finest. In a season that would see St Helens collect all three major honours at domestic level, Wellens' own form was to be rewarded with the Rugby League Writers' Association player of the year, Super League players' player of the year and the prestigious Man of Steel Award.Wellens was also awarded the Harry Sunderland Trophy
Harry Sunderland Trophy
The Harry Sunderland Trophy is awarded to the Man-of-the-Match in the Super League Grand Final by the Rugby League Writers' Association. It is named after Harry Sunderland, who was an Australian rugby league football administrator in both Australia and the United Kingdom...
as man of the match against Hull in the Super League XI Grand Final.
2007
In 2007 Wellens continued his form, but added another dimension to his game by becoming one of the league's top try scorers. This was highlighted in the Millennium Magic weekend victory against rivals Wigan WarriorsWigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
, in which Wellens bagged four tries. He was named in the end of season Super League Dream Team for the third season running. He also became joint winner of the Lance Todd Trophy award in the 2007 Carnegie Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
final against the Catalans Dragons
Catalans Dragons
The Catalans Dragons are a French professional rugby league club based in Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales. They currently play in the Super League, and are the only team in the competition from outside of the United Kingdom...
at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
, sharing the prize with Leon Pryce
Leon Pryce
Leon Pryce is an English professional rugby league footballer of Jamaican descent for the St. Helens club of Super League...
.
2009 to current
In January 2009, Wellens played in his own testimonial match against Wakefield Trinity WildcatsWakefield Trinity Wildcats
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional rugby league club that plays in the European Super League and is based in Wakefield. They achieved promotion in 1999 and have remained in the League since. They are known to their fans as Wakey, Trinity, Wildcats, or historically The Dreadnoughts...
. In 2011, Wellens was named joint captain alongside James Graham
James Graham
-British noblemen:*James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose , Scottish nobleman and soldier*James Graham, 2nd Marquess of Montrose *James Graham, 3rd Marquess of Montrose...
.
Player Awards
Only three players have won the Lance Todd TrophyLance Todd Trophy
The Lance Todd Trophy is awarded to the Man-of-the-Match in rugby league football's Challenge Cup Final.The trophy was introduced in 1946, in memory of Lance Todd, the New Zealand-born player and administrator, who was killed in a road accident during the Second World War...
, Harry Sunderland Trophy
Harry Sunderland Trophy
The Harry Sunderland Trophy is awarded to the Man-of-the-Match in the Super League Grand Final by the Rugby League Writers' Association. It is named after Harry Sunderland, who was an Australian rugby league football administrator in both Australia and the United Kingdom...
, and the Man of Steel Award, they are: George Nicholls
George Nicholls (rugby league)
George Nicholls is an English former Rugby League World Cup and multiple award winning footballer of the 1970s....
, Joe Lydon, and Paul Wellens.