FULL back Lachlan Coote may have had pretty big boots to fill when he arrived at St Helens - but after just seven games he is well on the way to stamping his own style on the role.

He may not be as flashy as predecessor Ben Barba, but his ability to instil a water-tight defence at one end and chime in with the halves to orchestrate the attack at the other has not gone unnoticed.

The warmth of the ovation that the former North Queensland Cowboy received from the away end in last Friday’s win at Castleford illustrated that - although he did admit that he initially mistook the repeated raucous elongation of his name in the celebratory chants for a boo.

The 28-year-old Scotland international, who penned a three-year deal at Saints, said: “It is going all right and I am settling in nicely now.

“It took a few weeks just to learn how everyone is playing and our systems too.

“It has been awesome, working with the halves, and Theo (Fages) has been running the show and me and Jonny (Lomax) are just chiming in off the back of him.

“We are showing up on both sides and really work well and hopefully we can continue to get better.”

A consummate professional, Coote was part of the the Cowboys spine of Johnathan Thurston and Michael Morgan, but is taking on greater responsibilities at Saints.

“With the experience that I have got I feel like I need to step up and help out a bit more, particular with the kicking game and game awareness.

“I have taken a bit of a leadership role, which is what I should be doing,” he said.

“I am pretty much a defensive full back and I love saving tries, and that is what I am trying to force into the team.

“The defence that we have had so far has been solid, hopefully we can continue to bring that attitude.”

It is working, after seven rounds Saints have let in just 80 points, 37 fewer than second-placed Warrington.

It did take a while, not just for Coote to settle into the style of play, but also for that contribution to then be appreciated.

But the distinctive Coo-oo-oote chants now greet his every action - from minesweeping a dab through to kicking a goal.

He said: “It took me a while to understand what I though the boo was – and then I figured out they were shouting my name.

“It is awesome the way fans have really brought us home this year so far and helped get us those wins and we love having them out there.

“It will be good to get back home on Friday, we love our home ground.

“Having those three stands packed with our fans is something good to run out to.”

Coote’s form - and the revival of the Great Britain team - have led to people putting two together and speculating if the Scotland international would be eligible to make that Lions tour.

Saints matchday quiz

It is not something that was on his radar when he came to England, but it sounds like an idea he is warming to.

“Playing for Great Britain is not something I have thought much about.

“But one of the boys tossed it up and asked if I would be eligible and I did not really know.

“We will see what happens further down the track, but it looks like a pretty good tour to go on.

“That said, there are some quality players that can make that side, so whether we are in the mix or not we will see.”