NEW Saints signing Matt Whitley credits his rejection by the club as a junior for putting the fire in his belly to help drive him on to become a Super League player.

Fast forward nearly 11 years and Whitley’s career has gone full circle with a return to his hometown club after successful five-year spell with Catalans Dragons after initially turning professional with Widnes.

The 27-year-old second row from Newton-le-Willows played his junior rugby at Haydock and Bold Miners and was within the St Helens town team set up from under 11s up to under 16s - but in 2012 he was told he was not being given a contract at Saints.

Although initially devastated by that, he swiftly picked himself up and has earned his spurs in his time away from St Helens.

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Whitley reflects: “Don't get me wrong - at the time I was gutted to be turned down by Saints - but looking back now it's probably been the best thing for me having to go elsewhere. Having that bit of rejection early on just put some fire in my belly.

“When Widnes came in for me and I took it with both hands because I desperately wanted to be a rugby player, and that opportunity gave me a period to really knuckle down.

“Obviously, to be back now at Saints after probably just over 10 years since then feels a bit surreal.

“Adam Daniels (assistant S&C coach) took me around Cowley and showed me the set up and it felt strange being back seeing how some things had changed and other things haven’t.”

In clocking up more than 100 appearances with the Vikings, he caught the eye of international selectors and booked a place on the England Knights tour to Papua New Guinea ahead of switching to Catalans.

Having moved back to England in late October, the English weather is something Whitley is having to get used to again, saying that “it rained for the whole of my first week back”.

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But he is not looking enviously at his former club’s social media posts of players training beneath the blue skies of Canet – he has moved on to this next chapter and surveys a squad jam-packed with quality back rows.

Whitley said: “Saints have got a lot of quality back rowers. That will make me a better player by being surrounded every day by players who have won everything there is in the game and I’ll be learning off the likes of Siro, Batch and Sione. We can all teach each other different things.

“It's going be a headache for Paul Wellens to choose, but whatever he goes with it is going to be quality in the team.”

Whitley has a skillset and work ethic that will fit into a side that values honest, industrious team players – and that is something that he has already picked up already.

“I've only been in just over a week, but the big thing that they talk about is the 1% efforts and that willingness to compete. It is a major driving force here.

“I'll play anywhere on the pitch that will benefit the team. I don’t think you can have too much of an ego to be just stuck on one position – you have got to do what you can for the team wherever Paul chooses to play me I know I'll do my best and give my all,” Whitley said.

When it was clear midway through 2023 that Whitley was leaving the south of France, Catalans coach Steve McNamara gave him a glowing tribute – knowing that his departure was primarily for family reasons rather than playing ones.

“I was enjoying my rugby over there I had a good five years there and loved my time at Catalans – it was just solely based on a family decision where we both wanted to come home and both wanted to be around family and friends.

“And it was important for our two girls, aged 4 and 19 months, to grow up around family.

“Obviously when a club like Saints like picks up the phone it’s hard to say no, isn't it?” he said.