ONE of Super League’s great entertainers, there was a time when Konrad Hurrell’s Super League future looked uncertain.
Having joined the Leeds Rhinos ahead of the 2019 season, the Tonga international centre quickly became a cult hero on the terraces at Headingley.
However, in the last year of his contract at Leeds, it looked unlikely that Hurrell would be given a new deal, leaving a potential exit back to the NRL on the cards.
That being said, reigning champions St Helens swooped and brought the former New Zealand Warriors star to the Totally Wicked Stadium on a one-year deal.
Now Hurrell has laughed at just how badly received he was by the Saints fans!
“When I signed with Saints 90 per cent of the fans were like ‘why the f**k have we signed this player?!” Hurrell said on The Sportsman’s YouTube channel.
“I didn’t think they would have wanted to sign me. The club took a massive gamble on me so I just shut my mouth, came in and trained hard.”
Hurrell went on to declare his relationship with head coach Kristian Woolf was key to the move as the Tonga national boss knew how the enforcer ticks.
“I already had a relationship with Woolfy from Tonga and I always played my best for him. He knew my potential. He told me to work my ass off and get on their bench.
“Woolfy was the one who put me on track. I respect him and his family and what he has done for me. But he’s buggered off to the NRL now!“
Hurrell impressed so much during the 2022 Super League season that he was given another deal by Woolf, so it will be interesting to see if the 31-year-old continues in the same rich vein of form in 2023.
