BIG-hitting crowd favourite Sia Soliola left massive boots to fill when he signed off at Old Trafford with a crucial try and returned to the NRL with a Super League ring.

Step forward Atelea Vea – another softly spoken Polynesian - who has vowed to stamp his own personality and playing capabilities on the role in the number 11 jersey.

The 28-year old back-rower, who Saints snapped up from London Broncos, has slotted in seamlessly since heading north and compares the set up to the best in the NRL.

Although he did admit to a few nerves on signing, now he can’t wait to get out on to the paddock and run off new half back pairing Luke Walsh and Travis Burns.

Vea said: “Moving to St Helens has massively lived up to my expectations so far– and some more.

“I was a bit nervous at first and wondered how the fans would react to me coming in, but it has been awesome so far.

“The boys and the coaching staff have helped me slot right in and it has taken no time at all – I feel like I have been here a while now.

“Keiron Cunningham has been in the system with the boys for a while but in terms of being in the driver’s seat it is his first year and in a way that suits me.

“But as for the team moving forward it has been good with no setbacks and all been smooth.”

Vea arrived in England last year after spells in the NRL with Cronulla Sharks, Melbourne Storm and St George-Illawarra.

At Storm he was schooled by the game’s leading coach in Craig Bellamy and played alongside the holy trinity of Cooper Cronk, Billy Slater and Cameron Smith.

Vea said the set-up at Saints compares favourably with those big Australian clubs and he has been enthused by what the players bring to training.

“I have been involved in lots of organisations back in the NRL,” he said.

“It is pretty similar to Melbourne and the content of training is the same but the intensity that the boys bring to training is petty high.

“Here is obviously some pretty healthy competition for spots.”

Saints have numerous options in the back row, with Jon Wilkin returning after missing the business end of the year with a dislocated shoulder, youngster Luke Thompson looking to kick on from an outstanding 2014, as well as Mark Flanagan looking to be re-homed after flitting between the back row and halves in the play-offs.

With Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook likely to continue operating at 13 and Josh Jones possibly continuing to flit between the three-quarters and second row, Vea knows he will have to be on his mettle to secure Soliola’s shirt.

He said: “I have got massive boots to fill and have a lot of respect for Sia so being compared to him is a big thing for me.

“It is something that I am proud of, especially being of a Polynesian background, and bringing the same sort of style of how we play our game.

“We enjoy our footy and I don’t intend doing anything different.

“I can play front and back row, but my preferred position is to be out on an edge and running some lines off two killer halves in Luke Walsh and Travis Burns.

“To be able to run off those two would be awesome, but it is obviously a long season and there will be a time when players are needed to play in different positions so I am open to whatever is best for the team.

“We are running through a few different things and Keiron is getting me familiar with the plays."