Super League champion Lachlan Coote is excited by Hull KR project

It is certainly some record; the stylish Australian full-back has been crowned a Super League champion every year ever since moving to the UK from North Queensland Cowboys at the end of 2018. It is all he’s known.

But, approaching his 32nd birthday, he could be forgiven for thinking his glory days – which also included a famous NRL Grand Final win – could now be behind him.

However, as Coote begins a two-year deal with the Robins, that could not be further from the truth.

During his first major press conference since arriving at the East Yorkshire club, Coote was asked yesterday if – with that ‘threepeat’ secured – whether he was still as hungry as when he first arrived in Super League?

“Yes, 100 per cent,” he responded.

“I feel like every season you go through without winning in a Grand Final is a waste of a season and coming here has really got that drive again.

“I probably would have found it a bit hard to rock up at Saints in another pre-season and try and deliver those same standards.

“But just coming here has freshened everything up: new staff, new coach, new players to sort of perform for and earn respect off. That’s the drive in itself.”

Given Rovers surprised so many by reaching the Super League semi-finals last season – 12 months after finishing bottom – could an individual four-peat be on the cards…?

Coote smiled and admitted: “I’m hoping so! That’s the ultimate goal.

“I’ll be doing everything that I can to try and achieve that.”

Hull KR, of course, have never won Super League and the last time they lifted the championship was as long ago as 1985, five years before Coote was even born in New South Wales.

Nevertheless, with Tony Smith, who won two Grand Finals with Leeds Rhinos, as head coach, building a squad mixed with stellar experience and some wonderful young homegrown talent, they have shown they can challenge the best.

Having signed record-breaking England winger Ryan Hall last year, persuading Coote to leave Saints for 2022 is further evidence that the Robins are becoming seen as the real deal.

Moreover, as one of Super League’s most consistently high-performers in recent years and a model professional, he is someone Smith knows will be crucial to the development of his improving squad.

Coote, who turned down a one-year deal to stay with the champions, is “excited” by the project of turning Rovers into contenders.

“It’s always easy to stay comfortable where you are at when at Saints,” he conceded,

“But it’s a new challenge in itself to come over to Hull KR. They were already in a good position before I even got here. Hopefully I can just bring a bit extra and get there and win a few trophies.

“They were one of the teams that were on the up (last season), bringing some good form into the finals. For them to go over to Warrington and knock them off in a play-off like they did shows there’s signs of a good team there.

“That’s definitely what I’m excited about and hopefully we can build on that.”

Smith is known for his exciting brand of rugby league – it lit up Super League at times last term – and Coote’s quality distribution skills should only make them even more potent.

“That’s the best thing about rugby league: the attacking side,” he said.

“Everyone wants to attack. It is good, their style, and I’ve noticed they have a fair playbook already.

“I’m looking forward to linking up with Jordan Abdull and Mikey Lewis. I’m looking to build on some combinations there.

“I’ve just started to do a bit this week and I can see myself playing some good rugby off the back of them. But I think the most important thing for me is making sure that our defence is good and not leaking points.

“I’d like to look at myself as more of a defensive full-back, trying to make sure we’re working on that side of things and trying to stop the points being conceded.

“But it is exciting to be a part of all those attacking plays.”

Coote, a Scotland international who toured with Great Britain two years ago, is recovering from post-season shoulder surgery but joined in with some skills sessions for the first time this week and is targeting KR’s season opener against Wigan Warriors on February 11 for his debut.

He has moved his young family to Hull from Merseyside and that hit problems on day one when the removal van carrying their belongings was impounded by the police as it did not have any insurance.

“We’d just picked up the keys and everything was going well when we got the call saying that the van had been seized by the police,” recalled Coote.

“Thanks to Hull KR, though, a few of the guys came to the rescue with some vans.

“We had to go refill them and get them back to our house. We should have been in the house all unpacked at one o’clock but it didn’t end up being until about 7 o’clock that night!

“It was a very long day and a bit of a bumpy start but we’re going OK now. It was always going to be hard with the kids moving over. They were really settled in St Helens with their schools and their sport.

“But they are pretty resilient and can adapt as well. It’s all part of it and I do appreciate they – and my wife – are doing it tough for me to achieve my goal and live out my childhood dreams.”