Super League: St Helens look to Jonny Lomax and Daryl Clark in post-James Roby era

James Roby won everything to be won at St Helens before his retirement at the end of last season

Super League will begin its 29th season in 2024 without one of its most talismanic figures, following the retirement of St Helens captain James Roby.

Roby, the leading appearance-maker in the summer era with 495 league matches under his belt, finally ended a 20-season career just before his 38th birthday as Saints bowed out in the 2023 play-offs.

The England and Great Britain hooker won six Super League titles, four Challenge Cups and two World Club Challenges during his one-club stint, and leaves a huge legacy.

Two men will pick up the baton for Saints in 2024, with half-back Jonny Lomax taking on the captaincy, while new signing Daryl Clark has adopted Roby's number nine shirt and place as first-choice hooker.

Missing a giant

Roby's longevity saw him straddle a number of great Saints sides, from the Keiron Cunningham and Paul Sculthorpe sides of the mid-2000s through to recent four-in-a-row successes under Justin Holbrook and Kristian Woolf.

Lomax has been on much of that journey with Roby, having himself come through the Saints academy system to make his first-team debut in 2009 and become an integral part of the club.

Now 33, the newly appointed skipper is preparing to step up and follow in the footsteps of a great friend and team-mate in Roby.

"It's strange not to have the voice of him and Louie [McCarthy-Scarsbrook, the prop who also retired] around, but as for the captaincy, I've acted as vice-captain the last few years," Lomax told BBC Radio 5 Live.

Jonny Lomax (left) and James Roby were long-term team-mates at St Helens, combining for great success in Red Vee

"If the captaincy hadn't fallen my way then it wouldn't have changed who I am, I'd still try to drive good standards and good values and morals within the team, and continue to be selfless in my actions to do what's best for the team.

"Whether you're a captain or not, they're traits you should probably go by in a team sport. In some ways it doesn't change how I'll act or who I'll be."

Much like Roby, Lomax is a cool head whose actions speak as loudly as words, and leadership is something that has been nurtured throughout his career - through his position in the halves and his experience within the squad.

"We all have bits that we enjoy, and everyone wants to score the game-winning try, but you only get the chance to do them by doing the hard work first," Lomax added.

"It's difficult to ask someone to do something if you're not prepared to do it yourself, so I'd like to hope my words always follow my actions.

"It'll be actions first and if we need to talk about it, then we can do that after."

The pressure of 'number nine'

Clark is a former Man of Steel, an England international and a Challenge Cup winner as a player, but even he acknowledges the significance of following in Roby's footsteps.

"All the stuff he's done for the club, the amount of time he's been here and the silverware he's been part of, there was going to be pressure," Clark said.

"When any sort of player of that stature leaves a team and a club it's going to leave a big hole to fill, but I knew that when I signed up for it.

"All I can do is train hard, get myself in the right condition, put my best foot forward and try to add value to the team - and I believe if I'm at my best, or anywhere near my best, I'll be able to do that."

Clark had played against St Helens before but is enjoying being part of the squad

The former Castleford and Warrington rake has already been enthused by the possibility of an all-English spine at Saints, with England full-back Jack Welsby, Lewis Dodd and Jonny Lomax in the halves and Clark himself directing operations at hooker.

"Across the full squad in general, the standard of player and the quality I've seen in training sessions is second to none," Clark added.

"The leadership players like Jonny, his knowledge for the game and the way he speaks and addresses the team is first class.

"I'm just looking forward to getting into the nitty-gritty of the games now."

Returning to glory

If there was one disappointment from Roby's magnificent career, then it was Saints finally losing their grip on the Super League title after four years of dominance - in his final campaign.

The team still enjoyed a successful season, becoming only the second English team to win the World Club Challenge down in Australia by beating Penrith, but their play-off campaign ended with defeat by Catalans in Perpignan.

Having tasted success so frequently in recent years, Saints have had a winter to refresh and revive in order to return to such glories again in 2024.

"Having time to reflect, if we'd managed to do five, we'd only want six. Then seven," Lomax added. "All that happens is that pressure just builds, everyone is out to get you and you'd probably become a bit accustomed to falling back on what's always worked for you.

"If you're not growing, other people around you are, they're trying to play catch-up. So if you stand still you might as well be going backwards because everyone else is looking to close the gap.

"In some ways, coming into this season, it's allowed us to have some group and self-reflection, understanding where we want to improve and what we can do better.

"With that in mind it's kind of allowed us to go - let's get excited about it. Pressure is off us a bit and it allows us to get to that idea of enjoyment, being excited and not having that pressure every week of people watching your result or getting ready for a game because you're there to be knocked off.

"In some ways, although it was hard, because you want to keep winning, there is a bit of a release for us to say - let's get going again."