Kristian Woolf

Playing career

Hailing from Mount Isa, Queensland, Woolf played for the Souths Magpies 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 teaching at Ignatius Park College and coaching their senior rugby league side, winning the Queensland State Schoolboys Championship in 2004.

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.

In 2012, Woolf joined the Brisbane Broncos as an assistant coach to Anthony Griffin.

In 2015, he returned to North Queensland as the inaugural coach of the new Intrust Super Cup side, the Townsville Blackhawks. In the club's first season, the side finished in first place and qualified for the Grand Final, losing to the Ipswich Jets.

Woolf was appointed head coach of the Tongan national team in 2015, coaching them in that year's Polynesian Cup, which they lost to Samoa. In October 2015, Woolf recorded his first win with Tonga in the Asia-Pacific 2017 World Cup qualifying game against the Cook Islands. In 2016, Woolf's Tongan side suffered a second straight defeat to Samoa in the Polynesian Cup.

Personal life

Woolf's brother, Ben, is the current coach of the Gold Coast Titans NYC side.