Rating all 11 of Kristian Woolf’s signings as St Helens coach

When Kristian Woolf arrived at St Helens, he had the unenviable job of continuing Justin Holbrook’s good work in the St Helens hotseat. He took over the Champions who had dominated the league for two seasons and was tasked with continuing that domination by creating a dynasty. The Saints already had the league’s best squad when he arrived making Woolf’s job more difficult when it came to recruitment. Nonetheless, he’s found a way to freshen up his squad over the last two years with some astute signings. So, here’s all 11 of his signings as Saints boss rated.

James Graham – 8/10

When Luke Thompson jumped at the opportunity to play in the NRL whilst lockdown set in here, Woolf was left with a giant hole in his squad. The league’s best prop and the 2019 Harry Sunderland Award winner was gone. So, he smartly called upon a St Helens legend in James Graham for one last go around in the red vee. Graham brought his signature power and passing ability to the St Helens front row meshing well with Alex Walmsley down the middle. He lessened the blow of Thompson’s departure and took the pressure of Matty Lees who wasn’t quite ready to be Thompson’s fulltime replacement last year. Graham may have only been a short term fix, but he was a successful one winning his first Grand Final since 2006 last November.

Joel Thompson – 6/10

Speaking of Thompsons, Woolf brought in Luke’s namesake at the start of this year. A superb player in the NRL thanks to his daunting frame, Thompson looked set to be a brilliant buy as he filled the void left by Zeb Taia and others. Things didn’t go to plan for the former Manly man however and he’s even said himself he struggled this year and has subsequently hung up the boots now that the season has come to a close.

Agnatius Paasi – 8/10

Every good team has a strong bench and St Helens have that thanks to the impact Agnatius Paasi offers. His size and explosivity is almost impossible for teams to deal with as he comes on and makes an impact against tired defences. We saw him do this brilliantly against Castleford in the cup final but it’s a trait he’s brought to Saints all season. A smart signing from Woolf.

Sione Mata’utia – 8/10

The whole rugby league world stopped to take notice when Woolf acquired the services of Australia’s youngest ever international. A major coup, Mata’utia started the season filling the void left by Morgan Knowles at loose-forward as he recovered from injury. He’s since moved to the second-row finding his feet in the role and producing some impressive performances blending his size with dynamism adding bite but mobility to the Saints pack. He was particularly impressive in the Magic Weekend defeat to Catalans. It was at that point you felt he’d finally settled in, ready for an impressive St Helens career.

Dan Norman – 5/10

This signing made a lot of sense. A big body to provide further squad depth in a climate where big squads are a necessity thanks to track and trace and self-isolation. Unfortunately for Norman, the Saints squad have very rarely been rocked by injury or the pandemic meaning very few opportunities have fallen his way this term.

Curtis Sironen – 8/10

The perfect replacement for Joel Thompson? Perhaps. Another ex-Manly man, he too brings a lot of size to the Saints pack going into 2022 as they look to maintain their midfield dominance over their fellow title rivals. He also comes with a wide skillset enabling him to cover a variety of positions.

Will Hopoate – 8/10

Continuing the former Manly flavour, the 2011 NRL Grand Final winner joins Sironen on the flight to St Helens after joining from Canterbury. Capable of playing anywhere in the backline, he’ll be key for Woolf should injuries arise next season especially now that utility back Jack Welsby looks set to become the first-choice fullback. That said, his pace and strength will make him the ideal replacement for Kevin Naiqama.

Joey Lussick – 7/10

A sound hooker with great organisational skills, Lussick’s value may lie in the long-term. It appears he’ll have little to do next year with James Roby in front of him meaning he’s likely to be used off the bench but perhaps Woolf sees him as the ideal replacement for Roby once St Helens’ inspirational skipper hangs up his boots.

James Bell – 7/10

This is the moment for James Bell to really shine. He’s been superb for a struggling Leigh team in 2021, so in a dominant Saints side we could see the absolute best of him as he blends skill with size.

Daniel Hill – 7/10

Given St Helens’ track record of turning Championship youngsters into stars – look at Alex Walmsley and James Bentley for example – it’s highly likely Danny Hill will one day be a household name. An exciting young fullback, he’ll have the opportunity to learn from the likes of Hopoate and Welsby at the back as he looks to develop into St Helens’ next star. But right now, he’ll offer further depth across key positions which can only be a good thing for Woolf and his team.

Konrad Hurrell – 7/10

This is a signing which was greeted with a mixed reaction. If he’d have signed at the end of 2019, this would have been awarded an eight or nine out of 10. But after a difficult season at Leeds in 2021, the signing feels more like a worthwhile gamble considering he’ll likely provide cover at centre and second-row. If he gets back to his very best under his international coach this could soon become one of St Helens’ best signings of recent years.