SAINTS are still getting used to where dynamic full back Ben Barba is going to pop up - but the good thing is neither does the opposition.

The former NRL superstar has made a blistering start to the campaign, playing a key role in both league wins so far.

When a squad includes a marquee talent like Barba, it is important that the platform is in place for the ability to shine through.

“The players we’ve got here, the coaching staff, the medical staff, everyone here gives us the best chance to perform at our best,” he said.

“The guys I’ve got around me are classy players and it just makes my job a lot easier, whoever they put there.

“We’ve got some great outside backs and some great forwards. There’s nothing I love better than a great side to run around in and create opportunities.”

Barba can expect defences to attempt to spot him and cut his options down before he gets going, but his teammates can create space for him and he for them.

“Joining midway through last year it allowed me to build combinations with some of the guys and it’s still a work in progress,” he said.

“Some of the guys still don’t know where I’m going to pop up, or what I’m going to do, and we’re still working on that sort of thing.

“And that’s always a good thing because it gives us something to strive for every day in training. It’s getting there, the combinations are coming along well.”

Judging by his flying start to the new campaign, it was time well spent in terms of preparing for the remaining two years of his contract.

“I was surprised how well I fitted in here straight away,” he said.

“Everyone seemed so approachable and nice to get along with. I think that first six months I got here and leading into the end of the season and the pre-season we’ve just been through means the combinations have been established a little bit better.

“It wasn’t as if we were then trying to catch up in the pre-season. We’d already had that five or six games that we’d played together.

He added: “I got a good read on some of the boys so then coming back into training was like we hadn’t skipped a beat. We were all straight into it and I think it’s helped the boys in the way we play and the way Justin wants us to play.

“It’s helped not just me but everyone that’s on board.”

The end of last year helped him and his family to settle in to what he now calls ‘a special place’ while also allowing him the time and opportunity to adjust to a different competition and the different opponents he would be coming up against.

“I got a chance to see how teams play and the way the boys play,” he said.

“It’s a lot different in style of play here to the NRL and I had to get used to that. I’m glad I got to play those last few games towards the end of last year.”