‘I feel at home’ - Tee Ritson making impact at St Helens but future yet to be confirmed

Tee Ritson was given his break in Super League at an age when other players were at least half way through their careers.

St Helens took a calculated gamble when snapping up the 27-year-old Thailand-born  turbo-charged winger, who topped the try scoring charts for Barrow Raiders in the 2022 RL Championship, but early signs suggest his 12-month loan spell at the Totally Wicked Stadium could be extended in the future.

Ritson, who launched his Super League career with a try-scoring debut against Castleford Tigers in February,, says he is  living a dream and determined to pay back champions St Helens for the faith they have shown in him.

His performances have seen him start their last four Super League games and he feels he has adapted well to the league’s standards.

“I’ve loved every minute of it,”  said Ritson, who has also had spells at Workington and Newcastle Thunder. “Obviously it’s been a massive step up for me, the training and everything, I think I’ve adapted really well.

“I’ve just kept my head down, focused on this year, focused on my training, the team and stuff like that, then I’m getting a good run of games now so hopefully I can continue that form.

“The team itself, they’re a great set of lads, the club’s really good, all the staff have helped me out – I couldn’t ask for anything more to be honest, I’ve loved my time here.

“This time last year I was playing in the Championship and now I’m playing for the World Club Champions in Super League.

“It’s a massive step up, the training, the intensity and stuff like that. The first couple of weeks I was pretty sore so I wasn’t used to all the training every single day!

“But I’ve adapted to it, there’s a lot of new systems and tactics, things that you need to know within the team that I’ve had to get used to. I feel I’ve really settled in now and feel at home.”

Ritson, who is hoping to make the starting line-up against Huddersfield Giants, was speaking ahead of the eagerly-anticipated Magic Weekend which takes place at St James’ Park, Newcastle, this weekend.

The winger has previously played in the Summer Bash, a similar event where a round of Championship fixtures take place over the course of a weekend, but Ritson admits Magic Weekend is on a different level.

He said: “Obviously the stadium that we’re going to be playing in is massive compared to the stadium we’ve been in at the Bash before!

“I’ve been involved in a few Summer Bashes and they’ve been great, they’re really good for the fans.

“You get a good mixture of fans there, fans who don’t usually watch you play so you can showcase what you can do.

“Obviously this is a different level, a huge stadium, a massive following from all the teams, I’m expecting the place is going to be bouncing so I’m really looking forward to it.

“This is the first time I’ve been in the stadium today, just looking at it now it’s quite impressive, it’s really something.

“I can’t wait to see what it’s like once it’s packed with loads of fans, I’m looking forward to experiencing it.