St Helens have signed Hull KR’s Australian five-eighth Travis Burns on a three-year contract from 2015.

The Super League table-toppers say they have paid Rovers a transfer fee of STG60,000 ($A109,519) for the 30-year-old Burns, who is set to link up with his old Penrith Panthers teammate Luke Walsh at Langtree Park.

Burns began his career at Manly and also played for North Queensland Cowboys and the Panthers before moving to Super League with Hull KR in 2013.

He was forced to sit out the first month of last season due to a suspension carried over from the NRL for a high tackle, but went on to make 49 appearances in his two seasons at the KC Lightstream Stadium.

Burns said: “I want to thank the club, particularly Neil Hudgell and Mike Smith, for the opportunity to come to Hull KR.

“I was staring down the barrel of a long suspension in the NRL and they gave me the chance to come to a great club and made me and my family feel so welcome whilst we’ve been here.

“Leaving the club will be sad but it’s a decision I had to make in the best interests of my family. We only get a small space of time in rugby league to do the best we can and the opportunity at Saints was in the best interests of both parties.

Hull KR will now step up the search for a replacement for Burns, as well as Canberra-bound hooker Josh Hodgson, with chief executive Mike Smith currently in Australia on a scouting mission.