St Helens boss Kristian Woolf identified for mega deal

St Helens head coach Kristian Woolf is a man in demand.

After making the move to Super League ahead of the 2020 season, the Tonga national boss has more than put his stamp on the UK competition, winning two Grand Finals and a Challenge Cup in his two-and-a-half years at the club so far.

With Saints playing a superb brand of rugby, coupled with incredible defence, there is little to suggest that the Merseyside club will not win a fourth Grand Final in a row – and a third for Woolf – in 2022.

However, with Woolf yet to commit to any future contract, the 46-year-old has been linked with a move back to the NRL.

Last week, it was claimed in the Daily Telegraph that Woolf had agreed to a four-year deal with the Dolphins with two of those as assistant under Wayne Bennett before taking over in 2024.

Though the Saints boss rejected the claims, Bennett has spoken out once more about his desire to bring in both Woolf and Sam Burgess.

“They are high on my list of priorities,” Bennett said on James Graham’s The Bye Round Podcast.

“I’ve got great raps on Kristian, I think he’s done a great job.

“I’ve got a huge amount of admiration for Sam Burgess. He is a wonderful guy and I’d love to have him here. I’m not sure if that would come into fruition but that’s the plan.”

With a number of NRL head coaches losing their jobs in the past few months, the desire to bring the two-time Grand Final winner has grown, with Woolf reportedly turning down a move to the New Zealand Warriors last month.

Meanwhile, The Mole at the Wide World of Sports believes that the 46-year-old has signed an extension to stay at the Totally Wicked Stadium, though that belief tends to go against the grain.