Tristan Sailor on Lee Briers' influence on joining St Helens

This is Part II of the Q&A session - part one dealt with Tristan Sailor's arrival at St Helens and his first observations.

MC: Style-wise there are comparisons between yourself and Jai Field, Bevan French and Matt Dufty. All those players have speed – is that injection of pace something you can bring to this St Helens team?

TS:  I very much hope so.  The game does open up at times for players like us and I feel like this will be really good opportunity for me in Super League.

We have got such a good forward pack at St Helens so to play off the back of that would be awesome. And then we have got Jonny Lomax leading us around with so much experience and people like Jack Welsby, who's just a freak in his own right.

I feel like coming into a something that's already got a foundation and structure like that should very much help my game.

(Image: Paul Currie/SWpix.com)

MC: Had Lee Briers already made the decision to come here as assistant coach when you were offered a deal here - was that a factor in joining?

TS: I don't know if he had fully made his decision, but I definitely got his opinion on what to do and how my skills would translate. He spoke nothing but highly about St Helens and the Super League in general.

So he was a big factor. And then when it did come that he was coming here, I was super excited because we have got such a special relationship and I knew that I was going be in good hands with Lee as the assistant coach here.

MC: There is a clear attempt to develop the Saints attack next year – and your signing is probably an integral part of that new attack. Is that something you are on board with?

TS: For sure - I'm a very attack-centric player and that's the same as Kyle (Feldt).

And again, I haven't seen Lewis Murphy play but I hear he is an absolute speedster, which is good. And I think there is going to be a big attack focus.

We have definitely got some exciting attacking players and coaches coming in this year.

(Image: SWpix.com)

MC: Kyle Feldt has had ridiculous season – he was just a tr-scoring phenomenon last year.

TS: He has been so good and he's been so good for years so to see him still doing that is so great.

When he got that intercept try I was surprised he still had the speed - but he does. And I'll say that to him when I see him!

But he's someone that's so skilful, too, I think for the past nearly 10 years, all I have wanted to do was learn how he does kick offs.

Kick offs are something that people don't realise how important they are and to see when he was putting up floating torpedo kick offs is just another factor that can increase a team’s chance of winning.

Opposing teams are worried after they score a try, they're going to have to try and catch Kyle's kick off.

He is going to bring so much experience and skill to this team, even with his edge defence, which is just going to improve everyone around him as well.

MC: On kicking - I look at the half backs for next year there's not a real dominant go-to kicker, but what do you think your strengths are with the boot?

TS: I think it is one thing that I've seen spoken about - not having a player like Harry Smith who does all kicking for Wigan and is really good at it.

I feel like Jonny is so experienced that he can kick us into corners and do stuff like that, but obviously I haven't met him yet.

I feel like all of us will be really comfortable doing any type of kicking. Me personally, I have a grubber/short kick that I really like and I think the only problem may be adapting to the shorter in-goal sometimes, but I feel like that's definitely something I can bring.

But I think again, Lee (Briers) will bring a lot of knowledge around kicking.

He obviously did it for 400 plus games in the Super League and it's just having the IQ and game management - something that definitely Jonny can easily do having been half back in Premiership winning teams here. I think it's more a point of game management.

We can all technically kick a good bomb into the corner. It's just about finding the time and place and I feel like we'll be able to balance it and figure out through preseason what the best way is.

MC: I understand you have already taken in some games since you have been here. What differences have you noticed off the field?

TS: I went to a Championship game to watch a friend playing for York, even that was really cool.

And then I went to the Leigh v Wigan play off semi final and the crowds were chanting at each other and everything like that. I feel that brings an extra factor to gameday.

Home games here will be even bigger than back in Australia because you feel all the support behind you and you hear the chanting and things like that.

I felt like with Broncos, there are a lot of people at the grounds, but it all just blended into one, whereas here I feel like you can definitely differentiate the fans from either end and you can feel your team really behind you.

MC: One of the big bugbears when players come over here to play from the NRL is the slowness of of the ruck. Is that something you're going to have to get used to and work out ways of overcoming?

TS: I think that's a factor and it is a lot slower but the game does open up for people like Fieldy, Bev and Duft and hopefully me.

I think because of that slowness and the good line-speed and tight things you have got to play with the ball more, which I guess is something that I find I'm really good at - just playing and that's what again Lee loves doing - just playing footy.

There are some negatives. Someone like me, who loves to yardage carry back in Australia, might not be as effective because I'm a smaller body and can't get in behind the ruck as much.

But again that's things you develop as you learn the game, bit of footwork and playing the footy hopefully is going to help us, but it's definitely something I am going to have to adjust to.

I'm really excited to learn about the differences because I'm nerdy in that way. I read a book about football tactics and how Brazil's got different tactics to England and play in different ways. And I feel like that's similar to Australia and the UK in rugby league, so I'm very excited to get to know it and learn to play around and within it.

(Image: Mike Critchley)

MC: Do you have a preference at playing one or six, or is it are you are the best fit for the team?

TS: I've always been of the philosophy of slot in where is best for the team, but I think with one and six, there's not much difference in today's game.

I dare say Jonny (Lomax) will be on ball because that's what he's really good at. And then you just got Jack and I sweeping second and third layers so again I'm not too fazed.

They each come with their own fun things.

When I play fullback, I yardage carry a bit more, get under the high ball. When I'm at six, I like getting that competitive one-on-one battle.

But I think because of the extra physicality over here sometimes if I get a bit chirpy I might cop one across the chin, but it's all fun.

That's why I love the competitive nature of playing six, having that extra facet in defence but if I'm full back it's the same thing really.

The concluding part of the long interview session with Tristan Sailor will be online on sthelensstar.co.uk/sport on Saturday morning.