Kristian Woolf

{{Infobox rugby league biography

|name = Kristian Woolf

|fullname =

|image = Kristian Woolf.jpg

|image_size =

|position =

|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1975|7|6}}

|birth_place = Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia{{cite web|url=http://www.qrl.com.au/news/2016/07/14/blackhawks_head_west.html|title=Blackhawks head west|website=Qrl.com.au|date=14 July 2016|access-date=5 October 2017}}

|height =

|weight =

|coachteam1 = {{nowrap|Newcastle Knights}}

|coachyear1start = 2019

|coachyear1end =

|coachgames1 = 2

|coachwins1 = 1

|coachdraws1 = 0

|coachlosses1 = 1

|coachteam2 = St Helens

|coachyear2start = 2020

|coachyear2end = 22

|coachgames2 = 80

|coachwins2 = 61

|coachdraws2 = 0

|coachlosses2 = 19

|coachteam3 = Dolphins

|coachyear3start = 2025

|coachyear3end = present

|coachgames3 = 7

|coachwins3 = 3

|coachdraws3 = 0

|coachlosses3 = 4

|coachteamA = Tonga

|coachyearAstart = 2014

|coachyearAend = 24

|coachgamesA = 24

|coachwinsA = 13

|coachdrawsA = 0

|coachlossesA = 11

|new = yes

|source = {{cite web|title=Kristian Woolf – Summary – Rugby League Project|url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/coaches/kristian-woolf/summary.html|publisher=Rugby League Project}}

|updated = 2 November 2024

}}

Kristian Woolf (born 6 July 1975) is an Australian professional rugby league football coach who is the head coach of the Dolphins in the National Rugby League (NRL). At international level, he has coached Tonga.

While Woolf was the head coach of St Helens in the British Super League, they won the 2020, 2021 and 2022 grand finals. Separately, Woolf has also been an interim head coach of the Newcastle Knights in the NRL.

Playing career

Woolf was born and raised in Mount Isa, Queensland.https://www.zerotackle.com/coaches/kristian-woolf/ He played for the Souths Magpieshttps://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-30/country-boy-to-footy-king-kristian-woolf-and-st-helens/100579946 in Brisbane between 1996 and 1997.

Coaching career

In 2002, Woolf began his coaching career as an assistant coach for the Townsville Brothers in the Townsville & District Rugby League (TDRL) competition. At the same time, Woolf was teachinghttps://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-30/country-boy-to-footy-king-kristian-woolf-and-st-helens/100579946 at Ignatius Park College and coaching their senior rugby league side, winning the Queensland State Schoolboys Championship in 2004.{{cite web|url=http://www.cowboys.com.au/news/2014/09/29/welcome_back_for_blackhawks_head_coach.html|title=Head coach named for Blackhawks|website=Cowboys.com.au|date=29 September 2014|access-date=5 October 2017}}

In 2005, Woolf joined the North Queensland Cowboys as their junior development manager. After holding the role for four seasons, Woolf became the team's NYC coach in 2009. He took the side to the finals for the first time in 2010 and to their first Grand Final in 2011, which they lost in golden point to the New Zealand Warriors.{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/warriors-win-toyota-cup-thriller-20111002-1l3ku.html|title=Warriors win Toyota Cup thriller|first=Joe|last=Barton|date=2 October 2011|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=5 October 2017}}

In 2012, Woolf joined the Brisbane Broncos as an assistant coach to Anthony Griffin.{{cite web|url=http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/oach-kristian-woolf-hungry-to-sign-off-with-toyota-cup-glory-for-cowboys/story-e6frep5x-1226155207321|title=Woolf hungry for Cowboys glory|website=Couriermail.com.au|access-date=5 October 2017}}

In 2015, he returned to North Queensland as the inaugural coach of the new Intrust Super Cup side, the Townsville Blackhawks.{{cite news|url=http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/sport/the-townsville-blackhawks-have-scored-a-coup-in-bringing-brisbane-broncos-assistant-kristian-woolf-back-to-north-queensland/news-story/0afd81f4eea70a3a8dc849f270984f94|title=The Woolf pack|newspaper=Townsville Bulletin|date=29 September 2014|access-date=5 October 2017}} In the club's first season, the side finished in first place and qualified for the Grand Final, losing to the Ipswich Jets.{{cite web|url=http://www.nrl.com/blackhawks-clinch-minor-premiership/tabid/10874/newsid/89372/default.aspx|title=Blackhawks clinch minor premiership|website=Nrl.com|date=31 August 2015|access-date=5 October 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://www.nrl.com/ipswich-jets-win-intrust-super-cup/tabid/10874/newsid/90177/default.aspx|title=Ipswich Jets win Intrust Super Cup|website=Nrl.com|date=27 September 2015|access-date=5 October 2017}}

Woolf was appointed head coach of the Tongan national team in 2014. In October 2015, Woolf recorded his first win with Tonga in the Asia-Pacific 2017 World Cup qualifying game against the Cook Islands.{{cite web|url=http://www.nrl.com/tonga-qualify-for-2017-world-cup/tabid/10874/newsid/90566/default.aspx|title=Tonga qualify for 2017 World Cup|website=Nrl.com|date=17 October 2015|access-date=5 October 2017}} In 2016, Woolf's Tonga team suffered a second straight defeat by Samoa in the Polynesian Cup.{{cite web|url=http://www.nrl.com/samoa-v-tonga-five-key-points/tabid/10874/newsid/95688/default.aspx|title=Samoa v Tonga: Five key points|website=Nrl.com|date=8 May 2016|access-date=5 October 2017}}

In the 2017 Rugby League World Cup, Woolf guided Tonga to beat NZ Kiwi and a thriller with England at Semi Final.

On 26 September 2018, Woolf officially left his role as Blackhawks' head coach, which he held for four seasons, to take up an assistant coaching position with the Newcastle Knights.{{Cite web|url=https://blackhawkstsv.com.au/2018/09/26/farewell-to-coach-kristian-woolf/|title=Farewell to Coach Kristian Woolf|date=26 September 2018}}

On 27 August 2019, Woolf was named interim head coach with Newcastle for the remainder of the 2019 season after Nathan Brown stepped down.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/08/27/brown-depart-knights-effective-immediately/|title=Nathan Brown to depart Newcastle Knights, effective immediately|date=27 August 2019|website=National Rugby League}}

On 10 September 2019, it was announced that Woolf would take up the head coach role at St Helens in 2020, signing a two-year contract with the club having the option to extend a further year.{{Cite web|url=https://www.newcastleknights.com.au/news/2019/09/10/kristian-woolf-to-leave-knights-for-st-helens/|title=Kristian Woolf to leave Knights for St Helens|date=10 September 2019|website=Newcastle Knights}}

After defeating NZ Kiwi in 2017, Woolf led Tonga in 2019 to defeat both the British Lions Rugby League and the World Champion Australian Kangaroos.

He coached St Helens in the club's 8–4 2020 Super League Grand Final victory over Wigan at the Kingston Communications Stadium in Hull.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/55072997/|title=Super League Grand Final: Wigan 4–8 St Helens|work=BBC Sport}} He coached St Helens to victory in the 2021 Challenge Cup Final with a 26–12 victory over Castleford at Wembley Stadium.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/57828390/|title=Challenge Cup: St Helens beat Castleford 26–12 for first Wembley victory since 2008 |work=BBC Sport }} On 9 October 2021, Woolf coached St Helens to their 2021 Super League Grand Final victory over the Catalans Dragons.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/58858850/|title=Super League Grand Final: Catalans Dragons 10–12 St Helens: Saints win three in a row|work=BBC Sport}} On 24 September 2022, Woolf coached St Helens in their 2022 Super League Grand Final victory over Leeds in his final game in charge of the club.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/sep/24/st-helens-leeds-super-league-grand-final-match-report-rugby-league/|title=St Helens sink Leeds to win record fourth consecutive Grand Final|newspaper=The Observer|date=24 September 2022 |last1=Bower |first1=Aaron }}

=Tonga record=

class="wikitable"
Opponent ! Played ! Won ! Drew ! Lost ! Win Ratio (%)
align=center \| align=left\|{{rl\|Cook Islands}} \| 1 \| 1 \| 0 \| 0 \| 100.00
align=center \| align=left\|{{rl\|England}} \| 1 \| 0 \| 0 \| 1 \| 00.00
align=center \| align=left\|{{rl\|Fiji}} \| 1 \| 1 \| 0 \| 0 \| 100.00
align=center \| align=left\|{{rl\|Lebanon}} \| 1 \| 1 \| 0 \| 0 \| 100.00
align=center \| align=left\|{{rl\|New Zealand}} \| 2 \| 1 \| 0 \| 1 \| 50.00
align=center \| align=left\|{{rl\|Papua New Guinea}} \| 1 \| 0 \| 0 \| 1 \| 00.00
align=center \| align=left\|{{rl\|Samoa}} \| 3 \| 1 \| 0 \| 2 \| 33.00
align=center \| align=left\|{{rl\|Scotland}} \| 1 \| 1 \| 0 \| 0 \| 100.00
align=center \| TOTAL \| 10 \| 6 \| 0 \| 4 \| *{{#expr: 6 / 10 100 round 2}}.00**

class="wikitable"

Opponent

! Played

! Won

! Drew

! Lost

! Win Ratio (%)

align=center

| align=left|{{rl|Cook Islands}}

| 1

| 0

| 100.00

align=center

| align=left|{{rl|England}}

| 1

| 0

| 1

| 00.00

align=center

| align=left|{{rl|Fiji}}

| 1

| 0

| 100.00

align=center

| align=left|{{rl|Lebanon}}

| 1

| 0

| 100.00

align=center

| align=left|{{rl|New Zealand}}

| 2

| 1

| 0

| 1

| 50.00

align=center

| align=left|{{rl|Papua New Guinea}}

| 1

| 0

| 1

| 00.00

align=center

| align=left|{{rl|Samoa}}

| 3

| 1

| 0

| 2

| 33.00

align=center

| align=left|{{rl|Scotland}}

| 1

| 0

| 100.00

align=center

| TOTAL

| 10

| 6

| 0

| 4

| {{#expr: 6 / 10 * 100 round 2}}.00

colspan=9\|World Cup record
class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
width=150\|Year ! width=150\|Round ! width=50\|Position ! width=50\|GP ! width=50\|W ! width=50\|L ! width=50\|D
bgcolor=cc9966 \|Australia/New Zealand/Papua New Guinea 2017	Third place	3/14	5	4	1	0
Total	0 Titles	0/1	5	4	1	0

=Dolphins=

In late 2022, Woolf was signed as an assistant coach by the Dolphins for their inaugural 2023 season in the National Rugby League competition. He became head coachhttps://www.dolphinsnrl.com.au/teams/nrl-premiership/dolphins/kristian-woolf/ for the 2025 season onwards when his mentor Wayne Bennett moved on.

Personal life

Woolf is married and has four children.{{cite news | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-30/country-boy-to-footy-king-kristian-woolf-and-st-helens/100579946 | title=How an Aussie led a 'busted' UK rugby league team to glory | newspaper=ABC News | date=29 October 2021 }} Woolf's younger brother, Ben, is an assistant coach with the Dolphins (NRL). Their sister, Katie Woolf, is a radio commentator on Mix 104.9 FM Darwin.{{cite web | url=https://www.mix1049.com.au/show/mornings/ | title=360 with Katie Woolf }}

{{succession box

| before = Wayne Bennett
2023–2024

| after = Incumbent

| title = Coach
{{leagueicon|Dolphins|size=18}}
Dolphins

| years = 2025–present

}}

{{succession box

| before = Charlie Tonga
2010–2013

| after = Incumbent

| title = Coach
{{flagicon|Tonga}}
Tonga

| years = 2014–present

}}