St Helens have announced that head coach Kristian Woolf will be leaving the club at the end of the current season to take up an opportunity back home in Australia.
Woolf joined the Saints at the start of the 2020 campaign and has enjoyed an impressive spell in the Betfred Super League, boasting a win ratio just shy of 80%. He guided the team to consecutive titles in 2020 and 2021. He also collected the Betfred Challenge Cup in 2021, the club’s first in 13 years.
READ MORE:
The Queensland native has continued that success this season, leading the Saints to the League Leaders’ Shield for the first time in three years and will hope to end his Saints stay with a third Grand Final success and a record fourth in a row for the club.
Woolf told the club website: “This has not been an easy decision for myself or my family, but it’s time for us to return home. We made a decision a little while ago due to personal factors that have played their part in our decision. The timing has also combined with an opportunity that has arisen in Australia.
“I have been here for three years and I have loved every minute of it. I love the Club and what it has provided for both me and my family. The fans have been great with me, the passion they show and the way they support the Club is terrific. They have also made my family feel at home and have welcomed us into the community and on behalf of my family I want to thank them for that.
“I also want to pay thanks to the St Helens board, staff and my players. It has been a privilege to work with this exceptional group of men who are all extremely driven and worked so hard to achieve the success they have.
“The hardest thing is having to leave an exceptional group who buy into what you want them to do and are great players and people. What I love about them is how they compete and have a relentless attitude every week. That is extremely hard to say goodbye to. This is the same for the staff, who are great people to work with and are all on the same page, working closely together to move in the same direction.
“They have all helped me become a better coach and whilst I am returning back home, my complete focus is ensuring I play my small part in helping this group achieve success this season.”
*18+ | BeGambleAware
