Sailor settled in at Saints

Tristan Sailor is St Helens’ new number 6 for the 2025 season, and he is fully aware of the expectations that come with wearing their iconic jersey.

The 26-year-old is one Saints’ three high-profile signings, along with wingers Kyle Feldt and Lewis Murphy from the NRL, and is looking to light up the Betfred Super League this year, while embarking on a mission of success and silverware:

“That weight of expectation is something that is exciting, and with St Helens as a whole club, there’s always that expectation to be successful,” Sailor said.

6?? “It’s weird having my name on the back”

Tristan Sailor reacts after getting his first Saints squad number and seeing our new kit ?

Got yours 25 Kit yet?
? https://t.co/NeTCWBr9av #COYS pic.twitter.com/QCk3v7rjRF

— St.Helens R.F.C. (@Saints1890) November 28, 2024

“The six jersey is special and while I might not be as well versed yet on the entire history of the club because it goes so far back – just knowing Jonny (Lomax) has worn this – he’s a legend of the club.

“I realise the expectation that carries with it. I’m hoping to do the best I can and hopefully bring a new era and period of number 6 to the club.”

Sailor has settled into life well at Saints, and revealed that there were two big names in the game that had a strong influence on his decision to switch from the NRL:

“It’s been really good. I did a bit of travelling before I came over to England which was good. I’ve also been able to explore the UK a little bit which has been awesome and pre-season has been awesome so far as well.

“I’ve gotten to know the boys really well and have that belonging in the group. And now it’s almost time to play some footy, which is very exciting.

“Over in Australia I’d crossed paths with a few people who have played for St Helens before, such as legend Jammer (James Graham) and then Lee Briers, who grew up on Knowsley Road. I heard from them about how good it is at Saints.

“St Helens are pretty well known for being such a good club and having a successful culture anyway. I’d heard of Saints and their success – they came over and won the World Club Challenge in 2023 and everyone knows about them winning those four Grand Finals in a row.

“This is something that drew me to the club and made me want to come over here and win some big games. I guess that’s a credit to the club and the culture that they’ve built.

“Their brand is synonymous with winning.”

Sailor came through the youth ranks at St George Illawarra Dragons, before moving on to Brisbane Broncos. He also featured in the New South Wales and Queensland Cup competitions and was a standout performer in both.

Renowned for his creative and exciting skillset, Sailor is more than ready to wear the Red V, and believes he can bring an array of attributes to the side:

“I didn’t properly start watching Super League until I thought about signing over here, so after that I watched a few games.

“It’s so different to the NRL, but I’m really excited to learn the intricacies of that and how the game works over here.

“I think I’m definitely an attacking player, so I’ll bring that speed and footwork to the club as well as that off-the-cuff play.

“I like to play with a bit of risk because I’m a confident player. It might not come off all the time, but when it does, well, you’ve seen that style of play with the likes of Bevan French, Jai Field and Matt Dufty – and they are people who I grew up playing with.

“It translates really well to this game. I feel like I can bring something similar, and it’ll probably be more effective in Saints – we have such a good forward pack and such a good team in general. If we play on the back of that forward pack and with Jonny (Lomax), Jack (Welsby) and Daz (Clark) too; then it’s going to be really special.

“It’ll pay off more than it won’t.”

And as the new season is almost upon us, where Saints will be looking to build on last year's fifth place finish, Sailor is full of positivity for this next chapter:

“A big personal goal of mine is to connect with the boys, coaching staff and community. I’ve signed two years here, so I really want to lay those foundations early.

“I want to win trophies and get Saints back to that period of being successful and winning silverware. Hopefully this year we bounce back and get some trophies.

“I’ve heard about is the passion of the fans and how loud they are. They’ve got their songs and chants and it’s going to be an exciting experience that I’m looking forward to.

“The Totally Wicked has such a good pitch – and to have the stadium packed out too – I can’t wait.

“When I came over, our chairman Eamonn (McManus) said there’s two expectations – to win trophies and to beat Wigan!”

Will you be following Sailor and the Saints in 2025?

Watch St Helens v Salford Red Devils on Saturday 15 February, live on Sky Sports and SuperLeague+ (K.O. 5.30pm).

Tickets are available for this fixture here and from both official club shops.