James Roby: St Helens captain 'grateful' on cusp of breaking appearance record

Captain James Roby thanks team-mates past and present, family and fortune with injuries as he stands on the cusp of breaking St Helens' appearance record against Salford on Saturday.

The 37-year-old will surpass Kel Coslett's 531 Saints games between 1962 and 1976 if selected this weekend.

This is the 19th season as a first-grade player for Roby, who made his debut against Widnes in March 2004.

"I'm very proud," veteran Roby told BBC Radio Merseyside.

"There have been a lot of factors that have contributed to that - I've been very lucky with injuries, lucky to be part of a great club with great team-mates and people around me, and my family - my wife and children off the field."

As a young boy, he said, his "dream was to go on and play for St Helens" so getting the all-time appearance record will be "a really proud moment".

He added: "I don't think it will properly sink in until I've hung my boots up and I've sat back and recalled my career."

Coslett's longevity as a player, and later captain, coincided with numerous trophies, with four league championships, three Challenge Cups, a Premiership and five Lancashire Cups hoisted aloft during his time at Knowsley Road (Saints' former stadium).

Likewise, Roby has been involved in huge periods of success for Saints, such as the 2006 treble, four Challenge Cups, six Grand Final wins in Super League and this season's historic World Club Challenge win over Penrith.

He was also present as Saints lost five Grand Finals in a row between 2007 and 2011, four to Leeds and one to bitter rivals Wigan.

Whiston-born Roby completed the first part of his Saints dream when then-coach Ian Millward selected him for the Super League game against Widnes on 19 March 2004.

It was the start of a career which will likely end at the completion of the 2023 season and which also includes 32 England caps and seven Great Britain appearances.

"I'd only trained once with the first team, but Ian said 'you're on the bench on Friday'," Roby continued.

"He threw me in at the deep end. I was super excited, I couldn't wait to make my debut and play with all the guys I'd been watching at Knowsley Road.

"I was more excited than nervous. There was the story I was so excited I nearly crashed my car and had trouble getting on the car park, because the stewards didn't believe I was a player because they'd never seen me before.

"The build-up was kind of hectic but great for me as a player and, when I was on the bench, Mark Edmondson, who used to play, said 'you're in the team and been picked because the coaching staff think you're good enough, so go out and be confident'.

"His words really settled me, I was really excited, came on for the last 15 minutes for Sean Long and, as soon as I'd made that first tackle, the nerves were gone and it was just another game of rugby."

Although Roby's landmark outing will be a memorable occasion and a moment worth marking, for St Helens there is also a need for a performance and a victory after a mixed start to the season.

Last weekend's defeat by Catalans Dragons in Perpignan was their fifth in 10 games, after a delayed start to the season caused by their trip to Australia to face Penrith.

Yet it is a moment for head coach Paul Wellens to relish too, as his former team-mate and now skipper becomes a record breaker for the club they both dearly love.

"Everybody knows and understands what he's achieved," Wellens said.

"I don't think there's a person involved in rugby league - whichever colours you wear - who doesn't look at James Roby and realise and respect what an achievement it will be.

"It's important that we respect the occasion but at the same time concentrate on the performance as well."