St Helens sign Wigan hooker Tom Forber on three-year deal

Forber is the second hooker Saints have signed this off season following the recruitment of Canberra Raiders rake Tom Starling, which may lead to some head scratching given what they already available in that department.

They are now overloaded at nine, meaning the competition will be intense as they also have veteran England international Daryl Clark, plus Jake Burns and youngster Tom Humphreys.

How it all fits together will no doubt fall into place as the weeks progress - although there may be some long term planning involved beyond this year.

Nevertheless, Forber is excited to be making the move to the BrewDog Stadium.

Forber said: “I'm buzzing! I didn't realise how quickly it was all going to happen, really. I heard that Saints were interested and, knowing what a massive club it is, I was really excited.

“I grew up in Warrington, but I've always watched Saints and seen how much success they've had over the years. As soon as I found out they were interested, I knew I'd love to be a part of it.

“I just want to keep getting better. Unfortunately, I didn't play as much as I would have liked last year, and when the opportunity came up to join Saints, I saw it as a fresh start and a chance to prove a point.

“I want to keep learning and improving. There are so many great players and staff here, so I'll try to soak up as much knowledge as I can and use it to better myself.

“There's going to be some great competition. We're all trying to make each other better, and everyone gets on really well. It's good, healthy competition.”

Forber is also looking forward to the opportunity to work under new boss Kevin Walters.

“It's massive. You see him coaching Australia at the moment, working with some of the best players in the world.

“When he comes in, it'll be great to pick his brains, find out what he thinks I can improve on and understand where my strengths are.

“I'll listen to him, take everything on board and try to show him that I'm good enough to earn a place in the team.”

Forber, originally from Warrington, played as an amateur at Blackbrook before joining Wigan's youth development programme as a teenager.

He joins Saints following five seasons with the Warriors, which included loan spells with various clubs, including Widnes, Oldham, Castleford, and Wakefield.

Forber has made 69 career appearances to date and has won the 2024 League Leaders' Shield and Super League title.

He becomes Saints' fifth new arrival, joining Sean O'Sullivan, Christian Tuipulotu, Solomona Faataape and Tom Starling ahead of the 2027 season.