St Helens’ Kristian Woolf addresses speculation linking him to the NRL
St Helens coach Kristian Woolf insists reports he has reached agreement to return to Australia with the Dolphins “are not correct at the moment”.
It was reported in Australia earlier on Wednesday that Woolf has been offered a four-year deal by the Dolphins, who will play their inaugural season in the NRL in 2023.
But Woolf said later on Wednesday, in a St Helens press conference before Sunday’s Super League game at Wakefield: “There’s no update, I’m sorry.
“Nothing’s changed there at all from my situation. It’s the same as when I was asked last week and the week before.
“My situation hasn’t changed at all, so any reports saying things are confirmed are not correct at the moment.”
Kristian Woolf: My future will be resolved in the near future
Reports Down Under claimed the first two years of Woolf’s Dolphins contract would be served as assistant to Wayne Bennett before taking over when the 72-year-old retired.
Woolf said: “When I know what I’m doing, and that certainly needs (resolving) in the near future, certainly in the next couple of weeks. But when I know what I’m doing I’ll certainly comment on that a little bit more.”
Woolf: My circumstances haven’t changed
The 47-year-old Queenslander is aiming for his third-successive Super League Grand Final triumph at Saints. He would not be drawn when asked if he had held discussions with the Dolphins over his future.
He added: “I’ve obviously had plenty of discussions with St Helens in particular. I’m not going to go into who I might or might not have spoken to in Australia, or that kind of thing. It’s not really relevant.
“First and foremost, what I need to sort out is whether it’s staying in England; and if it’s staying in England, then it’s obviously not anywhere other than St Helens. That wouldn’t even be a consideration.
“Or whether, for different circumstances, it’s time to go back to Australia. If we decide that might be the case, then I’d worry about where that might be.
“But that’s something we haven’t decided just yet as a family. As I said before, my circumstances haven’t changed in terms of where I sit at the minute.”
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