Yates’ Verdict: James Roby should join other St Helens greats on Queen’s Honours List

James Roby of St Helens holds the Grand Final Trophy with head coach Kristian Woolf. Photo: Lewis Storey/Getty Images

James Roby has won almost every award available in the sport of Rugby League during a stellar career with his hometown club, St Helens.

The long-serving hooker completed his 500th appearance for the defending Betfred Super League champions at Leeds on Friday night and I believe he now deserves to follow in the footsteps of other Saints’ greats like Alex Murphy (OBE), Ray French (MBE) and Kel Coslett ( BEM) in being included in one of the Queen’s honours’ list sometime in the near future.

I know he is a modest down-to-earth kind of bloke and would almost be more embarrassed than delighted if a national honour was bestowed on him, but I think he deserves the accolade in appreciation of his service to the sport.

Gentleman Jim wasn’t exactly a first team regular in his early days as he battled to claim the number nine shirt from the legendary Keiron Cunningham, but he can finally hang up his boots at the end of this season and look back on a first team career, which started in 2004, and have something to cherish for the rest of his life.

At the same time, he doesn’t look ready to be ‘put out to grass’ just yet judging by his performance at Headingley.

He didn’t pick up the man of the match award, which went to half-back Jonny Lomax, but had a calming influence on the players around him as Saints were forced into defending their line stubbornly late in the first half.

It was a backs-to-the-wall show of defiance but once Kristian Woolf’s side had weathered the storm they took almost complete control of the game.

Leeds simply had no answer and the final 26-0 score line could have been even greater.

There were also plus points in most other areas, including the display of 19-year-old winger Jon Bennison, who helped set up one of Saints’ second half tries after showing his blistering pace in the build-up and also his mental strength when overcoming one or two early handling errors.

Now all attention will be centred on Saturday’s Challenge Cup quarter-final tie against the Catalans Dragons in the south of France (kick-off 2.30pm UK time) and will be screened by BBC TV.