Woolf Q&A: Saints fans praised, Sione's return and dealing with injury

He also had special praise for the fans - who continue to turn out despite the cost of living affecting every household.

MC: There has been a lot of disruption with injuries and suspension generally this season - do you have to go into the year with a Plan B, C and D or is something you modify as year goes on?

KW: A bit of both. This year we have had a lot more disruption and chop and change than we have the last two in my time – and there’s been a bit of bad luck in terms of a couple of things that we could have managed better as well.

That is our sport. You have years where you are a bit luckier, and others where you get more disruption.

The great thing is – outside of Lewis Dodd – all the guys that have had those injuries the majority have come back and had no further problems. And the guys that have been out the last couple of weeks are going to come back and have no dramas either.

There will be a freshness about them as we finish the year.

But to answer the question we obviously spent pre-season putting guy, for example, like Ben Davies in different positions so that if an opportunity for him comes up or if there is a hole top filled because of injury we know he can go in there and do that job because we have evidence of that in pre-season.

That is where we look at that the most and we certainly look at different options in pre-season. That is part of it.

As the season evolves you see certain blokes put their hands up more, whether that is through how they train, how they perform in reserves or how they take their opportunity. That evolves a bit.

That is what guys like Ben Davies and Dan Norman have done since the start of the year. They worked hard in pre-season to give themselves a chance to take that opportunity – and have handled playing reserves and being 18th man and missing out on games and all that comes with sitting on the fringe.

When the opportunities come, they have handled those too – that is why we want to upgrade them and keep them around the club.

MC: Sione Mata'utia started the year very strongly - but then has had injury and suspension to deal with. What will he bring back to the team from this week?

KW: I am very confident that Sione will get back to that – and back to that very quickly.

He had a lot of regret after his suspension.

He was playing really well, albeit out of position, and it has been a bit of a loss to us losing him this past couple of weeks.

He is fit and healthy, and back this week where he will have a significant impact on the game. We keep him on the field and I have no doubt whatsoever that he will get back to the form he was playing at the start of the year.

He will do that at the end of the year as well, that is something we are looking forward to.

MC: There is now a run of three consective fixtures against the top three, is that week to week intensity something the players can really get up for?

KW: I love the fact that players like the idea of this little block of games and it is a four-game challenge – four really meaningful big games.

That started with Leeds with a big rivalry that excites our players and this game at the weekend in Perpignan will be exactly the same with last year’s two Grand Finalists.

Two teams at the top of their game – and then the Magic round against Wigan and then going into Huddersfield.

It is a block in the middle of the year that gets the best out of our players – and that is what you will see.

MC: We are in the middle of a cost of living crisis and a lot of people are finding it difficult, but despite that the support level at Saints has been holding up home and away. How do you react to the loyalty being shown in these tough times?

KW: I have said many a time that our fans are outstanding. We are very humble and appreciative of what our fans do.

They have turned up in droves at every game this year wherever we have been and that includes all the French games - and this is our fourth.

It is not just that they turn up but it is the the way they support and the atmosphere they create.

Win, lose or draw they are happy to see us after the game and share their emotion with us and everything else.

I can’t thank them enough – but the way we can thank them is by putting our best out on the field and turning up with our effort and the performances we come up with.

The fact that they keep coming back says that they are happy with that and we’ll certainly keep performing for them.