Lachlan Coote has been in England a matter of only months but it is clear he has transitioned into life as a Super League player fairly seamlessly given his form this season. St Helens head into the hectic Easter weekend top of the table, with Coote a key factor behind why Justin Holbrook’s side lead the way before their Good Friday derby against Wigan.
Yet the manner in which the full-back has gone about stepping into the sizeable gap left by last year’s Man of Steel, Ben Barba, has been perhaps the most impressive thing about his move.
“I understood the size of the task and the pressure, if you like, surrounding it,” Coote said. “But to be honest, that was part of the challenge for me, to come over and show I’m capable of doing that in a new environment.”
Coote and Barba swapped clubs at the end of last season, and while Barba’s move to North Queensland has already ended in disgrace following more off-field misdemeanours, Coote has become a firm favourite with St Helens supporters.
Inflicting more punishment on the reigning champions, Wigan, who have only three wins from their opening 10 fixtures, would likely elevate his hero status further. “I’ve heard about how important this derby, the one at Easter, is for everyone. Everyone around the town says beating Wigan is the most important thing you can do as a Saints player.
“I never experienced that playing in North Queensland; the closest derby you’d get would be Brisbane. The fans genuinely make me feel emotional when they’re chanting my name – I’ve never known anything like it as a player. With so many games in a short period, Easter will be important for every team … but I guess here, it’s even bigger with the Good Friday derby.”
The 29-year-old is already being tipped to be among the frontrunners to succeed Barba as the Man of Steel this season, such has been the level of his displays. And while he was born in New South Wales, the three caps Coote has earned for Scotland via ancestry have resulted in calls to include him in Great Britain’s squad for the tour of the southern hemisphere this autumn.
It is a notion Coote is not entirely against. “I’d feel bad for taking someone else’s spot given how I’ve only played three times for Scotland,” he said. “There may be people who deserve it more than me but make no mistake about it, I’m here, and I’m putting my hand up for selection.”