AFTER a season significantly disrupted by injuries, Saints medical and performance staff will have an in-depth look at the way they train and prepare to make sure this has not contributed to their 2024 plight.

Although cursory look at the nature of the key injuries that afflicted the side across the board in 2024 reveals no real pattern, a more detailed analysis will take place to make identify if anything could be done differently.

To illustrate how widespread the Saints injury curse struck, there were no ever-presents in the top squad in 2024 with most appearances coming from packmen Matty Lees, James Bell and George Delaney who all played 26 of the club’s 30 league, cup and play-off games.

Significant absentees were strike players Tommy Makinson and Mark Percival, who both missed nine games with injury and suspension.

Forwards Matt Whitley (shoulder), Joe Batchelor (ankle) and Morgan Knowles (groin) sat out eight, 11 and 12 games respectively.

Prop Alex Walmsley and centre Konrad Hurrell missed exactly half the season’s matches, playing just 15 times each.

Middle forward Jake Wingfield had a season-ending shoulder injury after nine matches.

Saints’ injury woes were compounded in the late summer by the absences of Jack Welsby (hamstring) Lewis Dodd (elbow), Jonny Lomax (hand fracture), Daryl Clark (foot fracture), Sione Mata’utia (neck) and Curtis Sironen (calf) – all with different types of injury.

Coach Paul Wellens said: “The review is something that we do at the end of every year.

“But this has been very different because in years previously, say with hamstrings for example, we've had patterns.

“When you get patterns you look at something within the programme that's causing this problem, but what we've had this year is hardly any patterns at all with players picking up different types of injuries.

“Contact injuries have been a main contributor to some of them.

“That is encouraging in one respect because it tells you that maybe the programme is pretty solid, but it's also frustrating because it shows luck has not been on your side.

“We were affected more so than anybody this year with all types of injuries. We're not just going to be flippant about it and call it bad luck.

“We are going to look at the environment – ask what can we do different?

“Is there anything with our medical programme and coaching sessions that we can differently?

“We will just have to have an in depth look at it.”