SAINTS' new centre Dominique Peyroux’s mind can be forgiven for straying 12,000 miles away in Australia – and that longing is not about trading the cold and wet of south Lancashire for 30 degrees Down Under.

It is more to do with family because his partner Grace is due to give birth to the couple’s second child any day.

Although he admits that being apart during this precious, but anxious family time is playing on his mind, his professional focus means he has to apply himself on the job he has come to England to do.

Having endured a frustrating times out of the first team during his three-year stint at New Zealand Warriors, playing just 20 first grade games, Peyroux’s first task is to secure one of the starting centre berths.

It is a job he is approaching with determination, despite counting the days when he can be re-united with his family.

Speaking to the Star on Tuesday Peyroux said: “Grace is overdue, so I am just waiting and that plays on the head a bit.

“I already have one child – my son Ma’quez is two – and creating a life is the most beautiful thing in the world.

“Not being there for the second is really hard, but Grace is in good hands with my family back home.

“After the baby arrives we then have to sort out visas and flights and would like to get them all over as soon as possible. You have to wait for all that and it is a long process.”

For the time being he is stopping with Saints second rower Atelea Vea, and is enjoying that and the camaraderie he is building up with the rest of the squad.

"The blokes here are pretty easy to get along with and train alongside. It has been one of the toughest pre-seasons – climbing the stairs up at Rivington Pike and down with the marines in Plymouth, but it is all worth worth it."

Although signed as a centre/second rower, Peyroux is the opposite of Sia Soliola in the sense that he is stronger in the three-quarters, but he is flexible.

"I have been playing centre in the NRL for most of my career, but don’t mind moving one position inside and getting dirty so to speak. I am familiar with both positions," he said.

Peyroux explained the discussions he had ahead of joining Saints, saying he had spoken with Zeb Taia at Catalans. There was also the link up again with Sean Long who was assistant coach at Samoa for whom Peyroux switched to for the 2014 Four Nations after he had represented Cook Islands in the previous year's World Cup in England.

"I trusted some of the things he said about St Helens - it helped that Longy was here as well. I spoke to a few players as well and they said St Helens was one of the best clubs.

"I have loved being here since November," he said.

As for his goals, in the short term he just wants to play and see what follows.

"I thought for myself the goal would be to do my best to make the starting team.

"If I can’t do that in the first two weeks then I will just keep training my hardest to get in there," Peyroux said.

Peyroux turned 27 last week and is young enough to still harbour ambitions of returning to the NRL - and he is not alone in that.

"Myself and Corey Thompson at Widnes, we have the same manager and are pretty good mates. We just talked about trying to establish ourselves here and then, because of family and stuff, then get a way back to the NRL.

"You never know what is around the corner - we may end up loving it here and staying longer than usual and retiring here," he said.