NEW Saints recruit Tristan Sailor joins pre-season training next week – but the speedy former Brisbane Broncos full back or stand half has already hit the ground running.
Having made his way through Europe and to England earlier than most overseas recruits the 26-year-old has settled into life in Manchester and is buzzing with excitement at the opportunities Saints and Super League presents.
Similar in attributes and style to potent attacking players like Wigan’s Bevan French, Jai Field and Warrington’s Matty Dufty – coming through the ranks at St George-Illawarra with the latter two of those - Sailor is confident of making a similar impact on English rugby.
Sailor, the son of dual code Australian wing Wendell, has clearly done his homework on the club – admitting to reading history books to immerse himself in the culture and pedigree of the Saints, building on the insight former Dragons teammate James Graham gave him.
But he has also physically been getting himself prepared for the first of his two years in the red vee by pounding the streets to top up his fitness to make sure he makes a positive start.
Exuding positivity and excitement when he speaks in his first interview since arriving in the UK, Sailor said: “It was good to get here a bit earlier and put in that prep before pre-season starts because you want to come in ready and raring to go.
“I've been running and it's very different to back home with the cold air hitting the lungs over here.
“Matty Daniels sent some stuff through, which is really good to have that sort of structure and layout to gym sessions, conditioning, running sessions and stuff like that.
“I am a fairly fit player, but I find that it definitely sets up a really good base and Matty has been really helpful with that as have the medical and physio staff already touching base, making sure I've got everything I need so I'm really excited for pre-season now.
“I'm super excited to I guess get in and meet all the boys.”
Sailor’s NRL career started with St George-Illawarra, playing just a handful of senior games before his release at the end of 2020.
After a spell in the Queensland Cup, he was picked up by Brisbane Broncos where he has played this past two seasons under the tutelage of assistant coach Lee Briers, whom he follows to St Helens.
Clips of Sailor’s impact for the Broncos show an alert player, with an eye for the gap and pace to exploit and execute – qualities that will be a boon for Saints’ attack.
The opportunity and even responsibility to help transform the Saints attack in a new-look spine, whether at 1 or 6, is not lost on Sailor.
And that was a big part of the pull factor in encouraging him to swap the sunshine state of Queensland for south Lancashire.
“I saw what Jai, Bevan and Dufts are doing - and there are lots of similarities between how I play and the way they do.
“So that was another big factor.
“I very much hope to bring something similar to what they have brought to Super League.”
Saints had a troubled season last year, not helped by a shocking run of injuries.
Although they have made aggressive defence a key part of their DNA, work is needed on what they do with the ball and Sailor’s arrival – along with that of attack coach Briers – will be key components of that evolution.
Sailor said: “We have got such a good forward pack here so to play off the back of that would be awesome.
“And then we got Jonny Lomax leading us around. He's got so much experience and then again we got people like Jack Welsby, who's just a freak in his own right.
“And so I feel like coming into a something that's already got a foundation and structure like that should very much help my game.
“And as I said, I'm very close with Lee and we always had ideas and we think very alike, so I know that again that I was always going to be in good hands no matter what, because Lee would be the assistant coach here.”
Even before Briers had been confirmed as Paul Wellens’ number two, Sailor had sounded him out when Saints came knocking – and he liked what he heard from a coach whose opinion he values.
“I definitely got Lee’s opinion on moving here and how my skills would translate and he spoke nothing but highly about here and the Super League in general.
“So Lee was a big factor. And then when it did come that he was coming here, I was super excited because we got such a special relationship.
“I'm definitely excited by Super League.
“And again seeing people like Duffo, Bev, Fieldy and Locky Lam too, because we grew up together, the game does open up at times for players like us.
“I feel like this will be really good opportunity for me.”
Sailor has noticed differences with the way Super League is played, compared to the NRL – and he accepts that will present challenges to overcome but opportunities to exploit.
“I've noticed it's a lot more physical at times, so that's something that is obviously exciting, but you have just got to prepare yourself for the differences in the games,” he said.
“!I do feel like it's going to be really good and I am really excited to work with everyone here.”
Having Briers here is a big plus that will help Sailor smoothly transition into life in the red vee. And is relishing playing his part in help evolve that Saints attack, whether from 1 or number 6.
Sailor said: “I think because over the past two years I have become so familiar with his coaching style and how he likes to run attack and we have those similarities and what we like.
“And again he knows what suits my game as well. And so that's really exciting.
“He has obviously worked with Jack with the English team as well. So he's got a pretty holistic view of, I guess what our spine will be able to do, which is obviously such an important factor to any team.
“And I think as well as Lee to have Wello as a head coach as well. I feel like as a full back and ball player I can learn a lot from him, especially in relation to the way the Super League played, because there's definitely little intricacies that you can find that are different in the game.
“So again, I guess I can learn a more well-rounded game by learning from Wello, Jonny and Jack and the guys that are here.
“I'm a very attacking centric player and that's the same as Kyle (Feldt). And again, I haven't seen Lewis Murphy play but I hear he’s an absolute speedster, which is good.
Read: Q&A with Tristan Sailor on why he swapped Brisbane for St Helens>
“My mate Adam Clune at Huddersfield told me how tough St Helens was to attack against because it everyone's up off the line and have a pretty well-developed defence.
“We have definitely got some exciting attacking players and coaches that have come in and we can definitely improve the attack.”
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