A SEASON of soaring success for Super League champions Saints enjoyed another tremendous fillip when two heroes from earlier days received Rugby League's ultimate accolade.

For aces of the1950/60s winger Tom Van Vollenhoven and loose-forward Vint Karalius have been elected to the game's Hall of Fame, an honour only previously bestowed on one other Saint in Alex Murphy.

South African Voll was presented with his inscribed gold medal by Billy Boston at Saturday's World Cup Final at Old Trafford, while Widnes-born Karalius was handed his by the mercurial Murphy.

A former Springbok, even-timer Tom scored a record-breaking 392 tries in 409 matches for Saints between 1957 and 1968, and also passed Alf Ellaby's seasonal best of 55 with 62 in 1958/59.

Voll won every medal in the game while at Knowsley Road, including two Wembley winner's gongs versus Wigan in 1961 (when he scored the crucial try) and 1966, and notched a hat-trick in the Championship success over Hunslet in 1959.

Now 65, Tom lives in Johannesburg, is married to Leonie and they are parents of Lynne, Keith and the late Alan, with several grandchildren completing the Vollenhoven family circle.

As ever the ex-Pretoria policeman -- who made a try-scoring debut against Leeds in October, 1957 -- was accorded a welcome of pop-star proportions when he returned 'home' to St Helens last week.

Voll was also guest at the Rugby League Writers Association dinner at Runcorn when, on being introduced, present Saints stars Chris Joynt and Tommy Martyn were in awe of a legend whose artistry is Knowsley Road folklore.

The first forward to be installed into Rugby League's exclusive club, Vincent Peter Patrick Karalius joined Saints from West Bank, Widnes, in 1951 and had a major role in a decade of triumph for Saints, for whom he played 252 games and scored 41 tries.

Brother of other former Saints in Denis and Tony, craggy-featured Vint was a member of the Knowsley Road squad that lifted the Challenge Cup for the first time versus Halifax in 1956, and was captain when Wigan were defeated in 1961.

From an representive angle he earned 12 Great Britain caps plus several for England and Lancashire, with the high point coming on his only Australian tour in 1958, when he moved to stand-off and had a blinder after Alan Prescott broke his arm.

It was on that Ashes-winning trip that 6ft, 14 stone fear-naught Karalius was dubbed the 'Wild Bull of the Pampas' by a Kangaroo squad left licking their wounds after sampling uncompromising bear-hug tackling and defence-splitting passes.

Never a shrinking violet, Vint fell foul of officialdom from time to time, including the famous occasion at Saints when referee Fairbottom dismissed him, team-mate Brian Briggs and Workington brothers Bill and Dennis Martin.

Now a sprightly 68, retired businessman Karalius lives in the Isle of Man with his St Helens-born wife Barbara and, as a keep-fit fanatic, takes daily strolls along the beach, watches his diet, and enjoys sessions on the weights and yoga.