Kristian Woolf won’t rush into a decision on his coaching future with Tonga as the Pacific nation faces up to more World Cup heartbreak.
Woolf has been at the helm of Tonga’s rise as a genuine world power in the game since taking charge of his first game in 2014, when he was still an up-and-coming assistant coach.
But after Saturday’s 34-10 semi-final defeat to New Zealand in Newcastle, the Tongans have yet to reach a World Cup final in three attempts.
Woolf, who has coached the Dolphins in the NRL for the last two seasons while juggling his Tongan commitments, wouldn’t be drawn on whether he would still be in charge at the 2030 World Cup.
“I've loved this camp, it's been an outstanding group, outstanding staff, and I've loved everything they've done,” said Woolf.
“I've really enjoyed being back in camp and back around the players in particular. So, I'll figure that out in time.”
Woolf has been an integral part of Tonga’s emergence as an international threat along with captain Jason Taumalolo.
The North Queensland lock - the architect of the game’s Pacific revolution when he rejected the riches of playing for New Zealand to represent Tonga in 2017 - will be 37 when the next World Cup kicks off.
Taumalolo is unlikely to feature in four years time but the legacy he has created will ensure Tonga remain competitive well beyond his retirement.
More than half of the players used by Woolf through this year’s tournament were representing Tonga at their first World Cup, and only Taumalolo and Tui Lolohea remain from the 2017 squad.
“I think with the core group players that we have right now they can really make their mark in the international scene,” said Taumalolo.
“They're only going to get better too, so if they got a lot of international games they can connect and this campaign, for most of them, was probably the first time they've played alongside each other.
“They're only going to get better from here … We’ve got players that could have easily played for New Zealand or Australia, and they opted to play for our little nation in Tonga and make our people proud.”
