St Helens star Walmsley convinced Holbrook will succeed in NRL

Justin Holbrook is leaving St Helens to join NRL side Gold Coast Titans at the end of the Super League season, a move that Alex Walmsley has no doubt will be a success.

Holbrook has enjoyed a terrific spell at Saints since taking over from Kieron Cunningham in April 2017, guiding the club to successive League Leaders' Shield triumphs in 2018 and 2019.

Saints clinched that second success at the start of August, ultimately finishing 16 points clear of second-place Wigan Warriors, who they face on Friday for a spot in this season's grand final at Old Trafford.

The form of Saints under Holbrook drew the attention of the Titans, who have failed to make the NRL finals in the last three seasons, finishing bottom of the table in 2019.

England prop Walmsley has been a regular under Holbrook, who he has credited with rejuvenating Saints over the course of his tenure and backed to succeed in the NRL.

"You only get so many opportunities to coach in the NRL," Walmsley told Omnisport. "For a Super League coach to be given an NRL job, very rarely do they look outside of Australia for a coach.

"It probably says a lot about Justin not only as a coach but as a person to be given that opportunity. He's obviously going to a tough gig, they've had a couple of tough seasons and it's a different job to what he's had at Saints.

"But I think it's going to be great and he can be as much of a success as he has here.

CONFIRMED: Justin Holbrook has been announced as the new Gold Coast Titans Head Coach from 2020. https://t.co/pvrSTowenB pic.twitter.com/3dyCrsS6RJ

— Gold Coast Titans (@GCTitans) July 31, 2019

"Justin has been brilliant, not just for what he's done for the team, but he's changed the town. There was a divide between the players and the town and it was quite bad really.

"What Justin's done has brought the community back together with the squad and made it a good place to play again, our fans are right behind us and it's made it a really happy place.

"A happy fighter is a dangerous fighter and he's got the camp enjoying training, enjoying playing and it's put us in a good place.

"Ultimately he wants everyone to be positive and wants us to back ourselves as players and coming off that encouragement from a head coach who's got such a positive outlook has really improved us all as individuals."

Holbrook has come up short in finals at Saints, and although Walmsley does not believe winning a major trophy is needed to validate the club's success over recent seasons, he feels it would be a just reward for their consistency.

"I don't think we need to win it, I think it would be a justifiable result at the end of the season if we do it," Walmsley added.

"But we've got an unbelievable opposition coming up in Wigan, it's more than just a semi-final, it's Wigan versus Saints, with all the drama and pressure that comes with those derby matches thrown into a game for the grand final."

Alex Walmsley is working with Dacia on their We Make Heroes campaign, celebrating understated heroes throughout Rugby League. To find out more, visit Dacia.com.