Tristan Sailor was just a baby when his dad played in England - but now he’s ready to come of age with St Helens. The exciting Aussie produced some thrilling displays at Brisbane over the last two years without ever truly nailing down a spot. But he reckons his best footy is still in front of him as he prepares to attack Super League.
His dad Wendell Sailor was a dual-code legend after starring with both the Kangaroos and Wallabies. The blockbusting ex-Brisbane and Queensland winger also randomly played with Leeds Tykes in 1998-99, scoring 15 tries in just 13 games for the rugby union outfit.
Sailor Jnr, set to feature at stand-off for Paul Wellens’ side having shone at full-back with Broncos, is less brawn and more style. But he said: “My dad does talk about his time here a little bit. 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! He definitely remembers his times over here and it’s been really cool to be here now again knowing I was so young last time.”.
Playing as the son of an iconic past player is not always easy. But Sailor insisted he doesn’t get peppered with advice from his dad. He said: “It’s a bit more let me get on with it. 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.
