St Helens have confirmed the arrival of Canberra Raiders hooker Tom Starling on a three-year deal – taking the club to 11 overseas quota players contracted for 2027.

Starling has inked a long-term deal with the Saints to provide competition for Daryl Clark in the hooking role. He becomes the fourth new signing since Kevin Walters’ confirmation as head coach, joining Sean O’Sullivan, Christian Tuipulotu and Solomona Faataape in signing on the dotted line for the Saints.

And the hooker admits he has admired the Saints from afar for some time – and the lure of working with Walters was too good to resist.

Tom Starling addresses St Helens switch

The 28-year-old, who has over 150 NRL appearances to his name, said: “This is such a great opportunity to be able to join such a prestigious club as St Helens.

“I’m a bit of a rugby league nerd, so I keep up to date with Super League, and I’ve always admired the competition from afar, the style of rugby and the toughness of it. I’ve played alongside a few of the English lads in Canberra, and you see the passion they have for their clubs.

“I feel like I’ll fit in really well. I wear my heart on my sleeve, and I can see that same passion in the people of St.Helens. It’s a very passionate, loyal fanbase, and that reflects the way I play. I love the expectation of winning trophies.

“That’s why I play the game: to win, play with a bit of style and show passion. I’m so excited to get over there, immerse myself in the town and community, and become a Saint. I’ve seen how intense he is with his training, and so when Kevvie called and asked if I’d be interested in coming, he spoke about his plans for the Club and what he wants to achieve. I was ready to go there and then!

“Having Kevvie there was a massive draw for me. Saints is a big enough draw in itself, but having him involved will be huge. I can’t wait to see what we can achieve together over the coming years. I’m really excited to play under him.”

St Helens quota dilemma emerges

However the arrival of Starling means at least one quota player will either need to move on or subsequently not be registered for 2027 as it stands, with the Saints now having 11 under contract.

Their four new signings of O’Sullivan, Tuipulotu, Faataape and Starling are joined by Tristan Sailor, Daniel Suluka-Fifita, Curtis Sironen, Shane Wright, Nene Macdonald, David Klemmer and Jacob Host. One of those will now need to move on, it appears.

Macdonald would appear a likely contender, while Love Rugby League has already revealed that Wright – along with forward Joe Shorrocks – have been offered to clubs for 2027.

But that is an issue that will likely only fully get resolved when Walters arrives in England after the World Cup concludes – with the potential for more new faces if there is significant overhaul at the Saints in the winter.