New St Helens recruit reveals major influence in Super League switch after initial rejected offer

New St Helens recruit Kyle Feldt has detailed how wife Deanna was the person who persuaded him to make the move to Super League after the winger rejected an initial offer from the club last January.

Veteran Feldt marked his official debut for Saints with a try in last weekend’s record-breaking 82-0 demolition of Salford Red Devils’ youngsters at the Totally Wicked Stadium.

The 33-year-old put pen to paper on a two-year deal with the Merseyside outfit ahead of 2025, seeing his signing announced back in August 2024.

Moving to Super League for the first time has also brought an exit from the Cowboys for the first time in his career having been a one-club man to this point.

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New St Helens recruit reveals major influence in Super League switch after initial rejected offer

After becoming his boyhood club’s all-time top try-scorer, the veteran admits that without wife Deanna, he may well not be in a Saints shirt now.

Speaking to LoveRugbyLeague during pre-season, Feldt said: “(The first contact with Saints) would have been in early January 2024.

“I told them I wasn’t going to come and that I wasn’t interested, but then as the year went on, I just had a change of heart.

“It’s not only my decision, because I’ve got young kids and a wife as well.

“I’ve always got to figure out what’s best for them as well, and when I did bring the situation up with my wife last year, she was really happy about it, wanting to come over. She was a bit disappointed I’d turned it down at the start to be honest!

“Once we’d made the decision, we chose to run with it, and we’re really enjoying it over here so far.”

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‘Because it was so early in the year, I just hadn’t really decided what I was going to do – whether I was going to carry on or retire’

Feldt, who represented Queensland in State of Origin back in 2021, played over 200 NRL games in a Cowboys shirt.

Having made his first-team debut in 2013, the Townsville native formed part of the squad which won the 2015 Grand Final – alongside the likes of Lachlan Coote and John Asiata – as well as beating Leeds Rhinos in the 2016 World Club Challenge.

On his change of heart to join Saints for 2025, he continued: “I think because it was so early in the year (in 2024), I just hadn’t really decided what I was going to do – whether I was going to carry on (playing) or retire.

“Now, I’m pretty happy with the decision that I made to see how the year panned out. If I wasn’t playing good footy, I don’t think I would’ve got another opportunity (from Saints).

“But the way I finished the year with the Cowboys made them come back to me again, and I’m glad they did, because then I could say yes. I let the football do the talking.

“I realised I wanted to come over here and give it a crack, and as I sit here now, it’s been a great decision for me so far.

“I wanted to challenge myself. Knowing that I’ve accomplished so much in the NRL, it was time for me to get out of there, really challenge myself and give my family the opportunity to travel as well.

“I’m not from here, but I am living here and it is going to be my home away from home. I want to represent not only St Helens as a rugby league team but as a community, as well.

“Being from a small town myself, community really does mean a lot to me. I’m really excited to give back to them in any way I can.”

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