Now the 2022 season has come to a close, we would like to pay tribute to all of our departing players and staff.
Rio Osaywanbo Corkhill
Rio came through the academy at Saints and was a stand-off who signed originally from Walney Central. A reserve team regular for 2022, scoring six tries in ten appearances following the same tally for the Under-19s in 2021. Rio made his Saints debut against Wakefield at home in the 2022 season, where he set up a stellar try.
Tom Nisbet
Tom joined the Saints from his junior club Newton Storm and progressed through the Academy system playing three seasons for the Under-19s. He went on to make his debut for the saints against the Salford Red Devils in 2020 playing on the left wing and went out on loan to the Leigh Centurions for the 2022 season.
Josh Simm
Josh was a mainstay in each Academy side he played in for the Saints. In 2019 Josh played 25 times for the under-19s side, scoring 29 tries with his outstanding play from not only his natural centre position, but also filling in across the backline and making appearances at loose forward, with his fine form earning his debut in 2019 against the London Broncos. He followed up that season with 20 appearances for the u19s the season after, scoring 30 tries this time, adding six first-team appearances and three tries. Josh made nine further appearances in 2022 scoring four more tries and went out on loan to Hull FC. Josh leaves the Saints with everyone’s best wishes for the future.
Aaron Smith
At the club since he was 11 years old, Aaron Smith was a member of our undefeated 2016 Academy side and represented England at Under 19s level. Aaron made his debut for the first team in 2018 away against the Catalans Dragons and he impressed with some good breaks showing his speed from dummy half. He unfortunately picked up an injury in the game leading to just one appearance that season. In 2019 Aaron had more game time as James Roby’s deputy. He made 16 appearances that year scoring three tries as Saints finished top by a record 16 points and Aaron was rewarded for his stellar performances with a spot on the bench for the 2019 Grand Final. Aaron went out on loan to the Leigh Centurions for the 2022 season, and everyone at Saints wishes him the best for the future.
Kyle Amor
Joining the Saints in 2014 from Wakefield, Kyle made his debut against the Warrington Wolves in a fantastic try-scoring display showing exactly why signed him as he added strength and power to the pack. Kyle went on to lift the League Leaders’ Shield and the Super League trophy in just his first season at the club, and went on to be a mainstay in the team for the next seven seasons. He picked up another League Leaders’ Shield, the Challenge Cup, and a further three Super League titles, going on to be a senior member of the squad. Kyle headed out on loan to Warrington in the second half of the 2022 season and will be joining the Widnes Vikings for 2023. Everyone at Saints wishes him the best of luck for the future.
Regan Grace
Our Welsh flyer. He joined the club after playing Rugby League for South Wales Scorpions at 16s and Wales at Under 18s. Regan’s try-scoring record in the Under-19s was phenomenal and he was part of the unbeaten Academy Championship side in 2016. The following year brought a much-anticipated first-team debut and he went on to cement his place on the wing scoring tries for fun. In 2018 he tallied 18 more tries and grew into a winger capable of not only scoring tries, but coming in to get quick yardage from the play the ball too. In 2019 he scored more tries than he had ever done previously with 22 tries in 33 games – just two tries behind Tommy Makinson who was named Super League’s top try scorer. With many stand-out tries, the pick may well have been his hat-trick against Wigan on Good Friday. The 2020 season saw Regan bag another 12 tries in 20 games including a memorable hat-trick against Leeds Rhinos – one of which was named Try of the Season. He bagged an impressive 21 tries in 23 games in 2021 as he helped us win three Super League Grand Finals and a first Challenge Cup in 13 years. 2022 was hampered with injury for Regan, but he still showcased some deadly finishes with four tries in his nine appearances including a crucial one in the Magic Weekend win over Wigan. Regan will move to France to play Rugby Union for Racing 92.
Kristian Woolf
Kristian Woolf arrived at Saints in November 2019 from NRL side Newcastle Knights where he had been an Assistant Coach and interim Head coach. Over his five years as coach of the Tonga national team, Woolf improved the nation’s world ranking from 14th to 4th and guided them to the Semi-Finals of the World Cup back in 2017, defeating New Zealand along the way – the first time that a tier-two team had defeated a tier-one team. He took over at Saints following the stellar job that Justin Holbrook had done not only managed to match his plaudits, but even take them steps further. In 2020 Saints lifted yet another Super League going back to back with victory over the Wigan Warriors, then followed that up by matching a feat only the Leeds Rhinos had achieved by winning three in a row in 2021 beating the Catalans Dragons in the Grand Final. He also ended the clubs wait for the Challenge Cup in 2021, narrowly missing out on the League Leaders’ Shield. He remedied that the following year by leading Saints to the League Leaders’ Shield and Super League double, becoming the only team to win Super League four times in a row – and the first Super League coach to win three in a row. Kristian will depart the Saints for the Dolphins in the NRL and everyone at the Club is eternally grateful for his huge contribution and we all wish him the best of luck for the future.
