ST HELENS star Konrad Hurrell has nailed down his future at the Super League club.
The bulldozing Tongan international has been a firm fan favourite since joining the Red Vee ahead of the 2022 Super League season and has now signed a new one-year deal with an option for a fourth in 2025 in the club’s favour.
In his first season as a Saint, Hurrell made 27 appearances, scoring 11 tries and has had a strong start to 2023 with eight more tries across 14 appearances in the season so far.
Speaking about staying with Saints for at least another season, Hurrell told the Saints website: “I feel good, the Club that’s given me another chance to get my career going forward and there is no regret that I signed here, I’m happy to go again for another year. I’m grateful and thankful to the Club for giving me another opportunity, I’m buzzing about it!
“I feel at home, especially with the fans, the boys and the Club have looked after me and my little family well. To be around the lads has been great but them as friends made life a little bit easier when I came here to Saints. Winning makes it a lot better when the fans are here, no matter what we are doing we’ve got to give back to the fans, so winning always makes them feel at home as well. Being out there the fans make you feel at home too.”
Whilst at Saints, Hurrell has won the League Leaders’ Shield, the Grand Final and the World Club Challenge, and it has made the Tongan hungrier for more silverware under new head coach Paul Wellens.
“Coming to Saints, everyone has won everything anyways and to see them still motivated to win something makes me feel grateful when I got to win another trophy with them. The motivation will always be there because it is the best feeling when you lift a trophy up, and I would love to have that feeling again.
“I think he has done a really great job this year (Wellens), he’s been in the game for so long and knows everything, a very smart coach. It is one thing I really like about him; that he knows everything in the game.”
In a thankful message to the Saints faithful supporters, Konrad closed by saying: “From day one I had to work hard and get the respect from the fans, and I hope I get to still work hard and get their respect, it’s been unreal what they’ve done for me.
“Within the first month, I got a song! I am grateful to get the love from the fans and I’ll still do my best to keep them happy. I’m looking forward to the rest of the year and having another year here with them and listening to them singing and being crazy.”
Head coach Paul Wellens told the Saints website: “We’re absolutely delighted that Konrad has extended his stay at the Club, it was a no-brainer decision not only on our part but also on his. He has really bought into what we are about here at St. Helens.
“Off the field, he’s an infectious character and that rubs off on a lot of the players. You can’t have enough blokes who not only are good players but good people as well. Konrad fits well with what we are about perfectly.
“When he takes to the field there are very few people like him in the competition, a really destructive player, who brings so much to our team, so it’s great that Koni has made the decision to extend with us, we love having him here.”
