Tristan Sailor has crossed continents and codes to chase his rugby league dreams, landing in St Helens with one goal in mind: to carve out a name for himself beyond the shadow of his legendary father, Wendell Sailor.
After an up-and-down stint with the Brisbane Broncos, Sailor is determined to make the most of his fresh start in Super League, eager to prove his worth in one of England's most storied clubs.
"My dad does talk about his time here a little bit," Sailor said, speaking with UK publication The Mirrorย and recalling Wendell's brief rugby union stint with Leeds Tykes during the late โ90s.
"I was three months old when we came over to Leeds, so mum always tells me stories of wheeling me around and stuff like that. But when I told dad I was coming over to St Helens, the first thing he said was Wello had beat him in the World Club Challenge in 2001."
Now 25, Tristan's journey to the Super League comes full circle with that bit of family history lingering in the background.
But while Wendell's legacy looms large in Australian rugby folklore, Tristan's path has been uniquely his own.
"It's a bit more let me get on with it," he said about his father's influence.
"When I was younger, he was the biggest influence on me. We'd go down the park and we'd kick the footy and pass it around. I built those foundational skills there and then got to a certain point around my teenage years where he made the decision to step back and play rugby. He was a dad then. We talk if there's big decisions, like coming over here, I got his opinion but mainly we don't talk rugby too much."
That independence has served Tristan well, especially as he steps into a pivotal role at St Helens, expected to line up at stand-off under coach Paul Wellens.
Drawing inspiration from former teammates who've thrived in Super League, Sailor is confident he can make a similar impact.
"I see guys I've grown up with like Jai Field, Matt Dufty and Bevan [French]," Sailor said.
"At the Dragons, Jai Field was a year older than me and Duffo was two years older, so at one stage all three of us were full-backs in that squad fighting for the same position. We played a lot of reserve grade together, so we have a really cool link. I feel I have very similar attributes to them and hopefully, I can bring that to Saints."
Those attributes - speed, agility, and an instinct for playmaking - are exactly what St Helens are banking on.
Inspired by the attacking flair that's made Field, Dufty and French standout stars in the Super League, Sailor's goal is to thrive within the Saints' well-oiled machine.
"Playing with this team should only make me better," he said.
"We've such a good forward pack, pivots, spine and outside backs, so it should all fall into place."
But for Sailor, success isn't just about tries and assists. It's about connection on and off the field.
"One of my main goals is just to connect to the club, players, staff and community because I feel that gives you a great basis to play off. That's an important goal for me, which will then lead to me on the field hopefully doing what I can do."
Part of that confidence comes from the familiarity of seeing fellow Aussies excel in the UK.
"To see how well they were going and how exciting the game is here was a big factor in coming," Sailor admitted.
"I also grew up playing with Lachie Lam when we were nine and ten. The first year he was here, he absolutely killed it when he slotted that field goal in the Challenge Cup final. Now I'm really excited to get going with Saints."
While comparisons to his father are inevitable, Sailor appears unfazed. The focus isn't on replicating Wendell's legacy but on building his own.
