FLYING wingman Lewis Murphy first caught the eye of Saints fans when he flew in for four tries for Wakefield towards the end of the 2022 season - but now he is keen to show that same zip and dazzling footwork in the red vee.

The 22-year-old flier, one of the club’s trio of new recruits, has joined following a year in Australia with Sydney Roosters where he admits to learning plenty despite not breaking into the first team after recovering from a serious ACL injury.

And he is looking to combine that extra knowledge with his natural athletic and acrobatic attributes as he begins his new life on the flanks at Saints in a new-look backline.

Murphy said: “I am so excited to get the chance to go out there and can’t wait for the season to start and show the fans what I am capable of and score some exciting tries, show my pace and my finishing off.

“Every day I am learning about this game and from the people I am training and playing with, especially from the great coaches we have at St Helens.”

Although shirt numbers are not necessarily an indicator of how Saints will line up, getting the number 20 shirt rather than dislodging Jon Bennison from the number 5 jersey could be the sort of early message he expected when it comes to fighting for your spot.

Murphy agreed: “I think having to fight for your place is how it should always be. In sport someone is always coming for you – or if someone has the place you have to chase them.”

Having undergone minor clean-out surgery on his knee in the off season the Yorkshireman is in training now and will be doing so fully with the rest of the team by next week.

He explained: “I am just grafting in training and just building up my legs again.

“It was not related to my previous ACL as I was already back playing – it was just a bit of scar tissue in there and just a case of making sure I was top-notch for the start of the season.”

Murphy was flying for Wakefield at the start of 2023, but that April – two months after signing for Roosters – he suffered an ACL injury to wreck his season.

He was nevertheless grateful for how Roosters responded to him and his injury after that devastating news.

Murphy said: “As soon as it happened, they reached out to me to ‘say nothing’s changed’.

“They got me back into top-notch shape and got my knee back to how I wanted it.

“I will always be grateful for that.

“I grew a lot from my year in Australia, in my own apartment without my mum and all my family around me, just me and my girlfriend together out there.

“I learned a lot about rugby league with top class coaches and all their knowledge plus from their top wingers at the club, I was able to pick their brains a bit.

“The biggest thing I learned last year was having to be hungry for everything and when things get tough you have to show that strong mentality to stay hungry and that has what has stuck with me.”

Although he played for all his rugby Down Under with Roosters Reserves in the New South Wales Cup, with England wing Dom Young on one wing and another big obstacle in his way to breaking into the NRL side in the 6ft 5 shape of long-serving international Daniel Tupou.

“Daniel has been such a consistent winger for so, so many years and you can’t really dislodge him from there.

“I knew it would be tough and he had another great year, but I learned plenty from him, like how he attacks the ball in the air.

“He also gave me plenty of tips on how to defend better and to get myself in the right position,” he said.

Which brings us to another veteran wing - Kyle Feldt, who has swapped North Queensland Cowboys for St Helens after a storming final year in the NRL where he scored 23 times in 24 matches.

Murphy said: “Kyle will bring loads of power, some great yardage carries and he can’t half finish.

“He knows his way to the tryline. He will also bring loads of knowledge as well and with me being a younger winger that will help me.”

With the fixtures out this week, it has not been the usual look for the big derbies that stick out for Murphy.

Instead, he is keenly looking forward to a return to a revamped Belle Vue and his former Wakefield side who have been re-energised since their relegation from the top-flight in 2023.

“It will be exciting to play Wakefield because of my background there and the people I know, although my preparation won’t change.

“I love what Wakefield have done at the club and the loyal fans deserve it. It is looking good over there,” he said.

Murphy is commuting to St Helens from his native west Yorkshire – explaining that he will re-locate to this side of the Pennines when his girlfriend Alecia re-joins him from Australia next year.

He explained: “Alecia has a really good job over there as a banking analyst – and enjoys her work - so will carry on for another year and then we’ll get a house here when she comes back.

“She was joking with me this week watching on from the warmth over there, and we were all in the snow and hail.”