ONE tough game for Tonga against Papua New Guinea made big prop Agnatius Paasi a wanted man…..and six years later Kristian Woolf has got his prop.
The big-hitting, strong running enforcer, who has joined Saints on a two-year deal, explained how the Saints boss’s six-year pursuit started and why it has finally ended.
And the big man, who goes by the name Iggy, spelled out just why he likes living up to that tough role in the middle – giving a taster of the full-blooded style Saints supporters can expect when he dons the red vee.
Paasi explained: “Woolfy has always tried to get me after that game playing for Tonga in 2014.
“We played against PNG in Lae and those guys are pretty tough. After that he tried to sign me up to play over at Townsville Blackhawks in 2015 but obviously I went and signed with the Titans.
“But now happy to be here and hopefully I can play lots of games under him.”
His eventual link up with Woolf is not down to some old pals act; rather Paasi sees the Saints coach as the man who can help him develop his game.
And that was the reason why he spurned the initial approach from Leeds Rhinos to sign for the back-to-back champions.
He said: “Leeds came with an offer first and it was pretty close, I was about to pen with them and then Saints came and I spoke to Woolfy.
“I spoke to him three or four times and his offer was to make me the best player I can be and probably sustain that over the years.
“At Titans and Warriors I was probably good for the first half the years and then seemed to drop off
“It was pretty good to talk to him and this year I can go throughout the season playing my best footy.”
Although all smiles while chatting about his family – his part-Scottish partner Chloe and their four young boys – all that changes when he dons the shirt where he prides himself on being something of an enforcer.
The smiling assassin said: “If you run at me then prepared to get hurt - It’s either you or me. I like to play against the best and go against the best.”
A big man, who can either start in tandem with Alex Walmsley or give impact off the bench, Paasi explained why he loves the front row role and the tough job to be done there.
“I started off in the second-row, but it wasn’t much fun out there,” he said.
“I got pushed to front-row and I’ve loved it ever since.
“You can make lots of runs and take the tough carries and tough tackles, that’s where I want to be and I like to enforce myself into the game.
“If we are down I like to get the boys up by running off the back fence and getting that momentum.”
Pictures: Copyright, Bernard Platt,
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