What Kristian Woolf said about his and James Roby's futures

Woolf also, when asked in yesterday’s post-match press conference, declared that his own future will be sorted in the next couple of weeks adding that “the club was comfortable with the situation”.

Roby had initially declared that he intended to retire at the end of this season, but his performances have remained at such a high quality and he is not playing like someone who has reached the end.

But despite the plaudits he has received – and the clamour from the fans – that decision will be his alone.

Woolf said: “He is playing great and I have said all along that as long as he is playing like that he is not going to get a tap on the shoulder from me.

“He needs to make his own decision and has earned that right the way he’s played 18 years in first grade, the way he’s gone about breaking a record every week with 517 Saints games now.

“He just plays the same way every single week, if you ask him to play 80 he will play 80, or 50 odd and he’ll do that exceptionally.

“He’s a brilliant player and a brilliant person to be involved with.

“When the time is right for him he’ll come out and let everyone know what he’s doing, but he needs to make that decision himself.”

Coach Woolf, who is in the final year of his contract at Saints, has been heavily linked with a move to join Wayne Bennett at the new NRL Dolphins club.

He said yesterday that his future would be “sorted” within the next couple of weeks, and that it had not been a distraction.

Woolf said: “It certainly getting closer and I need to give everyone some certainty as well.

“As a club we are comfortable with the whole situation and there has been some open dialogue there, and that is with the players as well.

“I don’t think it’s been a distraction at any stage – everyone is quite aware that I have a couple of things I need to sort out there.

“They will be sorted in the next couple of weeks.”