Fans’ favourite Konrad Hurrell becomes latest player to sign new deal at St Helens

Fans’ favourite Konrad Hurrell has extended his stay at St Helens by putting pen to paper on a 12-month deal which will run until the end of the 2023 season.

The Tongan international joined Saints in the 2021 season and so far this year he has scored five times and assisted six times in 15 appearances.

Hurrell said: “I signed for one year last season and it was a case of seeing how I went from there. I didn’t have a great year personally and I felt like I needed to turn it around, coming into a club with a great environment, great players and staff to try and get my game back to where it needed to be.

“Now I have got another opportunity to stay here a bit longer and I couldn’t say ‘no’. My partner and I are excited to be here for another 12 months . I have been enjoying it so much here, I am happy, playing well, so it is great to get the opportunity to stay.”

On the backing he receives from the supporters, Hurrell added:”I love playing in Super League because the fans get involved so much. I love connecting with them and they have been great with me. They come to watch us week-in and week-out and also pay our wages so I am more than happy to get involved with them!”

Prior to joining the defending champions, Hurrell linked up with the Leeds Rhinos ahead of the 2019 season from NRL side Gold Coast Titans and was named in the Super League Dream Team in his first two seasons, scoring 23 times in 55 matches and being crowned a Challenge Cup winner in 2020.

Before that he had played seven seasons in the NRL, having made his debut with the New Zealand Warriors in 2012. He moved to the Gold Coast in 2016 before scoring for the World All Star team in a win over the Indigenous All Stars. He made a total of 116 NRL appearances scoring 55 tries.

Hurrell has also won 11 caps for Tonga on the international stage, playing in the last two World Cups and will hope to feature in boss Kristian Woolf’s side at the World Cup.

Head coach Kristian Woolf said: “Koni is a great signing for us. He took a punt on joining us last season on a one-year deal to help his career, but we knew he would be a good signing for us as I know him as both a player and a person.

“I knew we had the environment at Saints which would help him perform to the best of his ability and what we are seeing is Koni playing with a smile on his face. He is enjoying his footy and is a big influence on our group and he will only get better.

“He is a very popular member of the group with his personality and character. He has earnt the respect of the group with how hard he has worked and he has put himself in a position to play the way he is playing because of that hard work and the discipline he has shown.”

Hurrell follows the re-signings of Sione Mata’utia, Matty Lees, Jack Welsby and Lewis Dodd as the club looks to retain a strong squad into 2023 and how ironic his next match will be against his former club, Leeds Rhinos, next Thursday at the Totally Wicked Stadium.