Super League clubs are lining up to secure the services of Brisbane Broncos’ Tristan Sailor for the 2025 season, it seems. Hull FC and St Helens have been linked with moves for the 26-year-old, and according to reports, the pair could be set for a bidding war as they battle it out to land the versatile full-back.
Sailor, who is contracted for another year, will be allowed to leave the Broncos early, with the club striving to free up cap space and he is said to be weighing up his options ahead of what could be a career-defining move. It’s a difficult decision for any player and one that should not be taken lightly, but it’s fair to say a move to Super League makes an awful lot of sense.
Tristan Sailor’s experienceÂ
First grade game time hasn’t come easy for Sailor over his career to date, making just 17 appearances in the NRL since his debut with St. George Illawarra Dragons in 2019. He made just five outings for the Dragons before his release, with his only try coming on his bow against Sydney Roosters.
He resurfaced in 2022 with Souths Logan Magpies in the Queensland Cup, before joining up with Brisbane ahead of the 2023 campaign. He starred on his debut for the club and this season alone he has made eight appearances with his most recent coming over the weekend against the Dragons.
However, despite the minutes he has amassed in 2024, it’s fair to say he still finds himself rooted beneath State of Origin star Reece Walsh in the pecking order. That is unlikely to change next year, with Walsh rapidly becoming one of the biggest names in the sport Down Under after bursting onto the scene as a teenager.
Sailor must be under no illusions on that front and while he still has another year left to run on his deal, he surely knows the score at Suncorp Stadium. That’s where Hull and Saints come in and in his hunt for game time, his decision might just boil down to who needs him most.
Can you name these former Hull FC players?
Why Hull FC makes most sense for Tristan Sailor
Straight off the bat, Hull is the destination that seems to make most sense for Sailor, son of cross-code superstar Wendell. The Black and Whites are readying themselves for the start of a new chapter under John Cartwright, a coach he knows well from the Broncos and that familiar face would surely help him settle in East Yorkshire.
Add in the fact that Hull are approaching next season without a first-choice senior full-back and it seems Sailor would be almost guaranteed the game time he craves at the MKM Stadium. His pace and ability in possession are what Hull are crying out for, with his versatility giving Cartwright the opportunity to use him in the halves, too.
Hull do have exciting youngster Logan Moy coming through the ranks and it’s fair to say he has caught the eye with his performances. However, the last thing the club wants to do is overexposure him and the addition of Sailor could help Moy begin to make more gradual steps towards becoming a key figure at the MKM Stadium.
FC haven’t seen the success they would have liked this season but they move forward with optimism and a switch to the Black and Whites would give Sailor the opportunity to spearhead a promising new era.
How Tristan Sailor could fit in at St HelensÂ
Where he might fit into Saints’ squad is a little less clear with Jack Welsby holding down that number one role at the Totally Wicked Stadium at present. As mentioned above, Sailor can play in the halves and that’s where the club have an opening with Lewis Dodd heading Down Under to take up a contract with South Sydney Rabbitohs.
However, Paul Wellens may have provided a window into his thinking ahead of next season over the weekend by dropping Dodd for the club’s derby clash with Wigan Warriors on Friday night. Welsby was the man asked to play alongside Jonny Lomax in the halves and he looked the part. Whether that’s the plan for next season remains to be seen, but if so it would open the door for Sailor, despite the impressive performance of Harry Robertson, who starred on his first-team debut.
The ball is well and truly in Sailor’s court but it’s obvious that a move to Super League has its merits and at 26, it seems he would make the move in his peak years as a player. Watch this space.
