Analysing how St Helens will utilise Tristan Sailor with tactical insight, stats breakdown
St Helens have beaten Hull FC to the signing of Tristan Sailor for the 2025 season – and attention will now turn towards how he fits into the plans under whoever the head coach of the Saints is next year.
Sailor has made nine appearances for Brisbane Broncos this year in a number of different positions: though with one primary area he is usually deployed in.
He offers immense utility value, and can play pretty much across the backline – instantly making him an asset in an evolving St Helens side heading into next season.
How will the Saints deploy him, though?
It does look as though Sailor is arriving in England as the direct replacement for Lewis Dodd, who in return is going to South Sydney Rabbitohs next season. But it isn’t quite as straightforward as assuming Sailor will take the number seven shirt and slot in at half-back.
Not least because Sailor has played the majority of his rugby this season at fullback – meaning Paul Wellens, or whoever coaches the Saints in 2025, has somewhat of a dilemma on his hands.
Does he keep Jack Welsby at fullback and play Sailor in the halves, or does he move Welsby back into scrum-half, a position he is familiar with and played last weekend at Wigan? The answer may well be somewhere in the middle, but the fact he offers two valuable options makes him an appealing and attractive signing.
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It is entirely possible to imagine a scenario when Sailor – who has a fantastic running game from fullback – and Welsby interchange mid-game, with Jonny Lomax the one constant in the spine for the Saints in 2025.
But there is another issue to ponder, here: and it is something the Saints care greatly about – not blocking the route to the first-team for a promising youngster.
The Saints have several players on the brink of breaking through in that regard: half-back George Whitby is one, as is fullback Harry Robertson, who made an enormous impact on debut against Wigan Warriors last week.
That could lean towards Sailor potentially even playing on the wing on occasions to afford Robertson or Whitby opportunities from time to time – with both likely to be regarded as first-team players by the time 2026 comes around.
In short: the Saints have picked up a player who will undoubtedly make them better in 2025, and who gives them multiple opportunities to redevelop and reshape their spine.
Back the early money on Sailor coming in at fullback and Welsby reverting to half-back – but nothing can be certain at this stage.
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