The Mole: Englishman tasked with fixing leaky Cowboys defence starting in Vegas

The Cowboys have turned to a hard-nosed Englishman to fix their leaky defence in 2026 - starting in Vegas on the weekend.

Paul Wellens, a former star and coach at St Helens who played 11 Tests for England and 20 for Great Britain, is a tough Merseysider who has made an immediate impact at the Cowboys over the off season.

The Cowboys conceded a mammoth 684 points in 2025 - their fourth worst defensive season ever.

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But the players are confident that is about to change.

"Everyone said our defence was no good… and they were right," star fullback Scott Drinkwater, pulling no punches, said of last season.

"Paul coming in has been great for us. He has emphasised that we need to hustle for each other and show more urgency on the tryline.

"We've been working hard so now we have to put what we've been practising into round one in Vegas.

"It's a big year for the club and we are pumped to start off on the right foot."

Watch the 2026 NRL season live and free on Nine and 9Now.

Wellens was out of a job after St Helens failed to renew his contract and unsure where his future lay when the phone rang from Australia after last season.

"It was (Cowboys coach) Todd Payten and I jumped at the chance when he called," Wellens told SKY Sports.