Rugby League: Tony Anderson - 'We have withstood challenge'

Sep 7 2007 by Liverpool Daily Post

LEEDS coach Tony Smith says the Rhinos still have their eyes on top spot in Super League but defending champions St Helens can take another step towards retaining the leaders’ shield tonight.

Leeds, who are at home to Hull, slipped a point behind Saints, who are at home to Warrington, after drawing at Bradford and if that situation remains after the penultimate round of regular fixtures the race to finish top will go down to the wire next Friday.

While the Rhinos have the luxury of another home game, against Wakefield, St Helens face a potentially tricky visit to arch-rivals Wigan who are likely to need the points to secure a play-off place.

“We now have two home games to finish the regular season on and put ourselves in the best possible position for the play-offs,” said Rhinos coach Smith.

“Top spot is still up for grabs but it is out of our hands now so all we can focus on is our performance over the next week.

“We are looking forward to playing in front of our own fans in the next two games because we know they can make a real difference and really help the players out.”

St Helens coach Daniel Anderson, too, is happy with his side’s run-in as they look to complete a clean sweep of trophies for the second successive season.

“I am happy that we are playing two tough derbies because we need a couple of tough games going into the play-offs and we are in a healthy shape to handle that,” he said.

“Everyone has come at us this year and we have still managed to withstand a lot of challenges.”

Warrington, who have never beaten Saints under Anderson, need to win at least one of their last two matches to avoid slipping out of the top six.

But coach Paul Cullen insists he never contemplated keeping players back for their last match at relegated Salford.

“Absolutely not,” he said.

“You cannot go to St Helens with that kind of mindset because your season could end under those kind of circumstances, psychologically.

“We will go to St Helens in the way we always go, to attack and to play football. We never think we’re going to complete, kick and chase and grind out a win at Knowsley Road.

“That’s happened with other teams but it’s not going to happen for us. They are never going to drop off. If we are going to beat them, we’ve got to try and outplay them.”

Warrington will give a debut to 18-year-old prop Matty Blythe due to a glut of injuries and suspension, while the return of Francis Meli and Mike Bennett means Saints will field virtually their Challenge Cup final line-up.

Meanwhile, it could be a tale of two full-backs at Headingley, where Leeds welcome back Brent Webb from a month out through suspension and Hull restore Shaun Briscoe to his favourite position.

Briscoe, who yesterday confirmed a move to Hull KR next season, lost his full-back spot to Motu Tony and has played on the wing in the last three matches but the New Zealander is out with a knee injury.

Hull’s shock 42-6 home defeat by Hull KR on Sunday not only enabled their deadly rivals to stay up but endangered their own hopes of a fourth-place finish.

Tonight’s visit to Headingley is followed by a home game against third-placed Bradford but coach Peter Sharp is confident his team can rise to the challenge.

“Sunday was a bad day,” he said.

“You have to take those bad days and turn them into good ones.

“We’re not guaranteed a top-six place yet, or anything else. We need at least a win and I don’t want us to leave it to the last game against Bradford.

“I want us to make the play-offs on the back of two wins against Leeds and Bradford and that is what I am looking for.”

Stand-off Richard Horne, who made his debut as a 16-year-old at Headingley in 1999, will make his 250th career appearance tomorrow, needing two tries to bring up a century.

TONIGHT: Leeds v Hull 8.00 St Helens v Warrington 8.00