Kristian Woolf: My kids will go back to Australia with St Helens accents

There will be a flood of tears when Kristian Woolf and his family return to Australia - taking home a suitcase full of cherished memories which will last them a lifetime.

The Saints’ head coach, who has achieved unprecedented success in his three-year stay at the Totally Wicked Stadium, admitted it is going to be a wrench to leave behind the many friends he and his family have made and vowed to keep in touch with them.

"We would also love to come back and visit the town sometime in the future but that’s never easy with the commitments I will have back home,’’ the 47-year-old told my long-time media colleague Stuart Pyke on Saints’ TV.

"We were made so welcome and comfortable by everyone in the town and will still keep in touch with some of them," said the Queenslander, who will now be focusing his full attention on Tonga as head coach of the Oceania island international team now preparing for the forthcoming RL World Cup.

His four children have also slotted seamlessly into the St Helens community and also made many lasting friendships.

"The two youngest will probably go home with a St Helens accent," joked Woolf.