Saints plan fitting finale for Anderson
Last updated 11:47, Friday, 29 August 2008
THE prospect of sending off their popular coach with a third Carnegie Challenge Cup winners’ medal will provide additional motivation for the St Helens players at Wembley tomorrow.
Daniel Anderson will return with his family to Australia at the end of the season and hooker James Roby admits that completing a second League and Cup double would act as a fitting tribute to his three successful years at the helm.
Saints seek to complete the first leg of the double with victory over Hull tomorrow and Roby said: “It would be a great send-off to Daniel.
“Although they’ve not really said anything openly as a group, I think most of lads have thought about it.
“For what Daniel has done – and I think the fans love him as well – if we can send him off on a high, we’ll definitely be trying to get him some silverware before he goes.”
Anderson, who quit as New Zealand boss to come to Super League, had a tough act to follow when he succeeded countryman Ian Millward, who had guided Saints to five major trophies in his five years, but he has experienced just 18 defeats in his 118 matches at the helm.
The irony is that his only Challenge Cup defeat was at the hands of tomorrow’s opponents, who pulled off a shock 34-8 win in the 2005 semi-finals.
Stand-off Leon Pryce, whose career has blossomed since his surprise move from Bradford three years ago, singles out his father Denis, a forward with Hunslet and Bradford, as the biggest influence on his career but is also in debt to Anderson.
“Daniel is definitely the second biggest influence on my career,” he said. “I think all the players who have played under him have flourished.
“They have all played their best rugby over the last three years and it can’t be a coincidence, can it?
“Tony Smith went away on a high from Leeds last year and it would be nice to do the same for Daniel because he deserves it.”
