Why Kristian Woolf declined an NRL head coaching roles to join the Dolphins

To get two seasons of an apprenticeship under the game’s most successful and enduring coaching mastermind will be the cherry on top of what is already an impressive coaching resume for Woolf.

The first five weeks of the Dolphins have been some learning curve.

Right now, he’s watching how Bennett handles the emotional hangover that has caught up with them after four games of peak intensity for the newly formed NRL franchise.

Saturday night’s 38-12 loss to St George Illawarra in Wollongong was the first time the Dolphins have been outpaced so far this season after three straight wins to start the year and a blockbuster 18-12 loss to Brisbane in round four.

“It has almost been like four, not grand finals, but really big games,” assistant coach Woolf tells CODE Sports.

“The first ever game is a big one, the first game at Kayo Stadium is another big one, first away trip, there‘s a lot of focus on making sure that we get our routine right and that it becomes a big game.

“And obviously the Broncos was a massive occasion and the build up and everything that went with that game and everything that went on on the night as well. It‘s massive.

“We’ve had a big month and it might be a little bit of a reason as to why we weren't quite where we need to be. But at the same time, it’s not going to be an excuse, we need to find a way to work a little bit harder next week and be better.”

Add to it the growing injury toll with halves Anthony Milford (hamstring) and Sean O’Sullivan (pec) both sidelined, and Saturday night was a big reality check for Bennett’s men.

For Woolf, this is the gritty NRL experience he was after when he left St Helens and joined the Dolphins as part of Bennett’s succession plan, with an eye to take over in 2025.

It’s a lesson in how the game’s most experienced coach handles the difficult times as well as the club’s highs.

Not that Woolf is short on experience at all. As St Helens coach he won every trophy on offer in the English Super League, and has helped turn Tonga into an international powerhouse to rival New Zealand and Australia since he took over in 2014.

He’s also spent time as an assistant NRL coach at Brisbane and Newcastle.

Because of his reputation and success, he’s been the ‘next big thing’ in NRL coaching circles for a number of years and was offered gigs at the Warriors, Bulldogs and Wests Tigers for 2023.

But the chance to be part of a succession plan under Wayne Bennett, in the same model as Jason Demetriou at South Sydney, was what won him over.

“I was very certain in my head through a lot of thinking that that was the right thing to do,” he says.

“And I looked at the opportunity to work with Wayne and he’s obviously more successful than any other coach and does things a little bit different than any other coach I’ve worked with.

“I could see what that looked like first hand and see what I could take from him first hand too, and knowing that I‘m gonna get an opportunity to try and build with him and watch how he builds it, and then work off that was an exciting opportunity and something that I wanted to be a part of.”

So far the pair have had a great level of teamwork where Woolf is extremely hands on in the day to day running of the team, while Bennett handles a lot of the man managing.

Before he joined the Dolphins he did his due diligence that what he was taking on had longevity and that the pathways system was set up to allow long-term success.

Woolf, who always has the utmost respect and support from the playing group wherever he’s working, tries to instil responsibility and confidence in his team.

Instead of referring to them as ‘boys’, he calls them ‘men’.

He sees the potential in players, the same way he saw potential in Tonga and harnessed it, and the same way he sees potential in the Dolphins and what the club has built over many years.

“There‘s similarities, but there’s a lot of differences,” he says.

“To build things you’ve got to put some steps in place that make the players want to be there, and make the players comfortable with what they‘re getting in terms of preparation and helping them to be the best players they can be.”

It’s why he wants to be an NRL head coach, despite the rollercoaster.

It’s worth it.

“You get to work with elite athletes, you get to work with young men who want to achieve things in their lives and help them do that.

“There’s a lot of real positives about it.”