Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf set to earn new deal after breakthrough season

It takes a special kind of coach to follow Wayne Bennett with success and Kristian Woolf fits the bill for the Dolphins in key metrics.

It is why Dolphins CEO Terry Reader said the 51-year-old would ink a contract extension post-season as a formality after guiding the Dolphins to Friday night’s grand-final qualifier against Sydney Roosters in what is the club’s first finals appearance.

“That’s something that will be taken care of quite quickly,” Reader said.

“Our intention is for him to be a long-term coach at our club, and that’s his intention as well.”

Woolf, signed until the end of 2027, is technically off-contract on November 1. He was a key part of the Dolphins’ coaching puzzle from day one after Bennett said he would be on deck for the set-up year in 2022 and then coach for two seasons.

Wayne Bennett (left) was seamlessly succeeded by Kristian Woolf (right) as Dolphins coach. (Jono Searle/AAP PHOTOS)

The Dolphins had identified his assistant Woolf as the heir apparent for 2025 following success as a head coach in Super League and on the international stage after turning Tonga from minnows into a powerhouse.

“Woolfie wasn’t an assistant coach who we were hoping knew how to be a head coach,” Reader said.

“He’d won three Super League premierships in a row with St Helens, and he’d done what he had with Tonga.

“Woolfie’s got a lot of respect from everyone in the game, but especially our playing group.

“In a similar vein to Wayne, he’s a great man manager and connects very well with the players.”

Kristian Woolf (centre) has been a successful head coach with Tonga. (Darren England/AAP PHOTOS)

The Dolphins had a shaky start to this season and were 12th after eight rounds following four losses and while there was outside noise about the coach, the brains trust was not concerned.

“If you’ve ever heard us speak, and you look at how the Dolphins have operated in the past, we’re not a club that has a committee meeting because we lost a few games in a row,” Reader said.