Lachlan Coote reveals he thought his “career was done” at 28, just months before St Helens move

Lachlan Coote has to be classed as one of Super League’s best signings from overseas with the Australian full-back one of just a handful of players to win Grand Finals in both NRL and Super League, a feat achieved by the likes of Wigan Warriors’ Pat Richards and Leeds Rhinos’ Adrian Morley.

To be referenced in the same sentence as those two icons guarantees your status as a legend of the game and to many that’s exactly what Coote is.

He joined St Helens in 2019 and quickly became a fan favourite and during his time at the club he lifted three Grand Finals, with victory over Catalans in the 2021 Grand Final being his last appearance in the Red Vee.

Since then he’s moved to Hull KR where he’s shone but speaking on the Out Of Your League podcast, Coote revealed that he almost called time on playing at an elite level aged just 28 – just a few months before the switch that revived his career.

“You never know what happens in rugby league. You never know who’s talking or under the table or anything like that,” Coote explained to hosts Mark Flanagan and Kyle Amor.

“Next minute I caught wind that Ben Barba was wanting to come back to the NRL and just so happened to be he was going to Cowboys. I didn’t know at the time because it was a late decision, it was late in the year, I think it was around August or something like that when there was talks.

“So there was no NRL opportunities coming up at the time and I thought that was it for me, I was either going to go back to Queensland Cup or do something like that.

“I was second guessing my own ability as well. I was that down on confidence that I thought that was it and I was just 28 at the time. I thought, okay, well maybe my career’s done and I’ve played my best footy and those years are behind me.

“That’s where I got to at a point and brings me back to my point of how how much of a coach has an influence on a player.”

Ironically it was the departing Saints overseas full-back that took Coote’s job and in turn he replaced Barba, but Coote specifically referenced the influence a coach could have citing Justin Holbrook as integral to his success in Super League.

“I think he made me realise how much of an influence a coach has on a player, I go back to my Cowboys days and there was a lot of pressure and stuff but Justin Holbrook was just the most positive bloke I’ve ever met.

“I go back to the story of my first game at Saints, we’re playing Wigan and we’re 6-10 going into half time and I threw an intercept and they ran the length of the field to score.

“We went into half-time and Justin had gone around all the players and he came to me. I was nervous at the time because at the Cowboys you could get put under pressure about those sorts of things.

“I apologised and he just said to me, ‘Mate, he was guessing. He didn’t know what he was doing, you threw the ball and it was hit and miss but he came up with the play.’

“Hearing that was like a massive relief and since that day I just think a coach has a massive influence on a player.”

Coote has since retired following numerous concussions but for St Helens fans he’ll always be the reason, and for Rovers fans he marks a shift in the club’s trajectory which they’re now on with a Wembley final on the horizon.