Shaun Wane

And that in turn may help St Helens in their search for a new boss, which appears to have settled on Tonga’s Kristian Wolff.

Former Warriors boss Wane has always been keen on coaching in the NRL and has previously been strongly linked with the job at New Zealand Warriors.

Now after former Saints coach Nathan Brown was fired, he is believed to be ready to apply for the position.

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Wane has been working part-time as High Performance Director with Scotland Rugby Union, as well as running a sideline business as a motivational speaker and leadership mentor.

But the lure of coaching in the NRL remains strong and he is set to put himself in for the Knights job.

“I’ve always been a big admirer of the NRL and the Australian game,” said Wane.

“I’d very much like to get an opportunity to test myself as a head coach in the NRL. I played with loads of Australian players and I’ve coached loads of Australian players so the interest has always been huge.

“There’s no better challenge than testing yourself in the toughest arena and on a week-to-week basis, that’s the NRL.

“I’ve had success in Super League, now I want to transfer that to the NRL.”

Warrington’s Steve Price has also been mentioned in the running for the Newcastle job, along with Sydney Roosters assistant Adam O’Brien and Jason Ryles.