Dolphins boss Kristian Woolf has unveiled his new coaching team for the first time as the club sets sail in the post-Wayne Bennett era.
Woolf, who was Bennett's assistant for the past two years, has recruited his brother Ben Woolf from St George Illawarra and Rory Kostjasyn from Newcastle as his two new assistants. Nathan Fien, who was also under Bennett in 2023 and 2024, remains on board.
The quartet all took part in guiding the Dolphins in their first pre-season field session on Wednesday.
Tonga coach Woolf is well aware of the standard NRL narrative that head coaches who take charge after Bennett are drinking from a poisoned chalice. It is historically true success has eluded mentors who have followed in the mastercoach's footsteps previously, but Woolf was having none of it.
"It is not something I am bothered with to be honest. I have got my own ideas," Woolf told AAP.
"I know what works for me and I know what hasn’t worked for me in the past. I am comfortable with where we are as a club and with the group around me. I will just back that."
Woolf is backing his new group of coaches. He knows what they bring to the table.
"They are all guys I have worked with before and known a long time in the game," he said.
"I know they are very good at their jobs, hard working and all very good people who will complement each other and complement what I want the club to look like as well. I knew I needed an experienced group and they bring good credentials.
"Ben has coached under 20s at the Titans, schoolboys and Tweed Heads (in the Queensland Cup) for a number of years and more recently has been an assistant coach and reserve-grade coach at the Dragons.
"I knew Rory as a player at the Cowboys and we had a connection at Newcastle as well where we worked closely and shared common ideas. He is a guy I really respect as a coach."
Kostjasyn, who won a premiership at North Queensland as a player in 2015, said it was "awesome to be here".
"I worked with Woolfy at the Knights in 2019. We stayed in contact and when the opportunity came up I saw it as a good challenge," he said.
"The whole Dolphins organisation is attractive and the brand has caught fire since they came into the competition. You add that with the roster they are putting together it is an attractive club to come to."
Woolf, after taking Tonga to the Pacific Cup final, is straight back into work.
"I had a week or two off straight after the season ended and had a couple of things I needed to do here before I went into Tongan camp to make sure we were ready to go," he said.
"I had to make sure when I went into camp that my head was there and not trying to do things at the Dolphins. I really enjoyed the camp and because everything was so good I have come out of that fresh and ready to go."
