{"id":99974,"date":"2025-05-14T05:30:14","date_gmt":"2025-05-14T05:30:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/99974\/"},"modified":"2025-05-14T05:30:14","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T05:30:14","slug":"st-helens-boss-backs-tristan-sailor-for-success-with-possible-position-switch-discussed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/99974\/","title":{"rendered":"St Helens boss backs Tristan Sailor for success with possible position switch discussed"},"content":{"rendered":"

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St Helens head coach Paul Wellens has addressed where Tristan Sailor could play going forward with the club\u2019s spine still a major talking point.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A run of three straight losses has seen pressure piled on St Helens with head coach Paul Wellens bearing the brunt of that, something that has seen reports Down Under that the club have named Ben Gardiner as their \u201cnumber one target\u201d<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Wellens spoke on the pressure<\/a> and confirmed that whilst he was aware of those reports, he had heard nothing from the club to suggest there was anything to them as he expressed his belief he is the man to lead St Helens forward.<\/a><\/p>\n

Next up on that mission is Catalans Dragons<\/a>, another side who have struggled with consistency in 2025 and one of the teams who Saints have beaten with Jonny Lomax\u2019s two drop goals securing a famous 14-13 win earlier this year.<\/p>\n

Lomax has generally been out of team in recent weeks through injury and then selection but questions are still being asked of St Helens\u2019 spine, particularly around NRL recruit Tristan Sailor and where his best role is.<\/p>\n

Tristan Sailor on the wing \u201can option\u201d for St Helens going forward<\/p>\n

Signed to play six, Sailor has been shifted to full-back in recent weeks to try and better accommodate him but that has in turn seen Jack Welsby move into the halves, despite the Englishman being among the best full-backs in Super League.<\/p>\n

Fitting Welsby, Sailor, Lomax and young gun George Whitby into the one, six and seven positions is impossible and Wellens may have to decide which player he drops, but another option presented itself at Magic Weekend.<\/p>\n

Tristan Sailor moved to the wing in the loss to Leeds Rhinos<\/a> and Wellens has confirmed that is \u201ccertainly an option\u201d for the clash against Catalans and potentially going forward.<\/p>\n

After confirming it as an \u201coption\u201d, he added: \u201cI accept quite naturally you don\u2019t want to be changing structurally throughout the course of an 80 minutes. However, as a coach I also have a responsibility to make sure I feel the team\u2019s performing in the right way.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I made those changes, I don\u2019t take those decisions lightly. It was a really harsh call on Jon Bennison to remove him from the field because the kid was doing nothing wrong. However, I felt like we needed to change the spine at that moment in time.\u201d<\/p>\n

It would be a major change with Sailor having never previously started a game on the wing and only featured in the centres on three occasions, but with Kyle Feldt still out it\u2019s a consideration at the moment.<\/p>\n

Speaking on the Australian\u2019s showing against Leeds, Wellens said: \u201cI thought when he went out there he acquitted himself really well. He\u2019s a dangerous player, there\u2019s no getting away from that. You can see that in him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve asked a lot of Tristan since he\u2019s come to the club and it\u2019s not easy. First and foremost settling into a new lifestyle on the opposite side of the world, but also building combinations with teammates.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think he\u2019s very quickly understanding the standards and high expectations that come with representing a club like St Helens,\u201d he added, before throwing support behind the 26-year-old.<\/p>\n

Wellens said: \u201cI\u2019m not unhappy with Tristan, I\u2019m not disappointed with Tristan at all. I\u2019m here to support him as his coach because I believe he\u2019s going to be a very important player for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Paul Wellens has named his 21-man St.Helens squad that will take on @DragonsOfficiel<\/a> on Thursday night in @SuperLeague<\/a> action<\/p>\n

Read more \ud83d\ude07 https:\/\/t.co\/6IlsZyXexa<\/a> #COYS<\/a> | St Helens Flooring<\/p>\n

\u2014 St.Helens R.F.C. (@Saints1890) May 13, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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