Tonga coach Kristian Woolf has set his sights on a special return to Old Trafford for the Rugby League World Cup final after leading St Helens to Super League glory at the same venue.

Woolf finished his time in charge of Saints by overseeing his third straight Grand Final victory and the club’s record-breaking fourth consecutive triumph with a 24-12 win over Leeds Rhinos at the end of September.

With the celebrations done and dusted, Woolf will become Wayne Bennett’s assistant at new NRL side the Dolphins next season, but first he has business to attend to on these shores with 2017 semi-finalists Tonga hoping to go one better than five years ago.

Woolf said: “It’s been a whirlwind couple of weeks, coming off the Grand Final and the success there, and by the end of the week I was in camp with these blokes.

“It would be outstanding to get to the final. To be able to take these guys and be involved in a game at Old Trafford - such an iconic stadium with such an atmosphere about it, with the English fans and the atmosphere they create - it would be another special moment these guys have been a part of and these blokes have given me.

“I certainly hope that I can be there with them and we can get that opportunity.”

Woolf has picked two Saints in Konrad Hurrell and Will Hopoate in his Tonga squad and there is a familiar feel to proceedings, with the side based in the town and their opening fixture against Papua New Guinea taking place at the Totally Wicked Stadium on Tuesday.

Hurrell enjoyed a splendid resurgence under Woolf’s guidance this year, culminating in a barnstorming performance and crucial try in the Grand Final against the side who let him go after 2021.

And Woolf has tipped the centre to transfer his club form to the international stage after silencing his critics and letting his rugby do the talking in 2022.

Woolf said: “He’s handled criticism really well, he had a tough year last year and copped a lot.

“He’s come through that and shown his strength of character, he’s the one who’s made the choices of being in the right condition and the right fitness and that’s why he got the reward and played exceptional.

“I’m really proud of what he’s done. He’s certainly going to be a big part of this campaign, he’s a really influential player for us on and off the field and I’m really looking forward to watching that evolve.”

Tonga captain Jason Taumalolo sparked a trend of players declaring to represent their heritage when he famously snubbed New Zealand in 2017 before helping his side to the last four, where they narrowly lost out 20-18 in a thriller against England.

North Queensland Cowboys loose forward Taumalolo is banned for their first two Group D games against Papua New Guinea and Wales with close friend and Catalans Dragons-bound prop Siosiua Taukeiaho set to deputise before the skipper returns to take on the Cook Islands.

Woolf praised Taumalolo’s pioneering impact – many NRL stars have followed his lead by choosing to play for Pacific Island nations over Australia or New Zealand – in helping to strengthen both the international game and Tonga’s squad.

“The movement you see in Samoa and other countries right now, these guys have been the leaders of that and deserve all the credit they get and probably more,” said Woolf, who has coached Tonga since 2014.

“Players with eligibility obviously want to make Tonga the nation they represent and show their pride in what being Tongan meant, but it was 2017 that was a pivotal moment.

“Since then, there’s been a lot of momentum. Now we’ve got a team who are playing regularly in the NRL, regularly in Super League, and we’ve got some of the biggest names in the game.

“They’re a special group to be a part of with the ability to do something special and now we’ve got to go about the hard work in reaching our potential.”

The Rugby League World Cup promises to be the biggest, best and most inclusive event in the sport’s 127-year history with men’s, women’s and wheelchair teams competing in 61 games across 21 venues throughout England. Tickets are available via rlwc2021.com/tickets