St Helens have announced the acquisition of Brisbane Broncos full-back Tristan Sailor for the upcoming season. Sailor has signed a two-year contract with the Saints, reportedly fending off competition from Hull FC for his signature.
The 26-year-old Tristan Sailor will relocate to Merseyside later this year to begin pre-season training with St Helens. He is the first new signing for the 2025 campaign. Although Sailor had a year remaining on his contract with the Brisbane Broncos, he sought a move after falling down the pecking order at Suncorp Stadium. He expressed enthusiasm for joining St Helens, citing recommendations from James Graham about the passionate English and Saints fans.
“I’m so excited to join St Helens. Back when I was at the Dragons, James Graham told me all about the English fans, and especially the Saints fans, and how passionate they are about their rugby. So I’m really looking forward to coming over,” Sailor said after signing his deal.
“It’s always been a goal of mine to come over and play in the UK at the top level, so the chance to do that was very appealing to me. I’m incredibly grateful to Saints for giving me this opportunity,” Sailor said.
He added, “Speaking with Paul [Wellens] was reassuring and helped ease my mind, as it was a significant decision to move across the world. Now, I’m really excited to get started.”
While it’s unclear where Wellens plans to deploy Sailor, his versatility and ability to play various positions across the spine offer the head coach multiple options.
“Wellens commented, “First and foremost, Tristan is an exciting player with attacking flair. I’m confident the fans will be eager to see him in action.”
“He’s a determined player who is coming over because he wants to be part of a successful team. I’m confident he will come in and enhance our squad,” Wellens said.
He continued, “Tristan’s ability to play both at full-back and in the number six position, similar to Jack [Welsby], gives us flexibility. We don’t need to rush into decisions about his role just yet. What we do know for sure is that he will bring a lot to our team.
“Tristan has experience in high-stakes games, and he’s still young, hungry, and focused on achieving success. We’re hopeful that St Helens can help him reach his goals and we’re confident we can support him in doing so.”