Rugby League: St Helens 36 - 16 Warrington

Sep 8 2007 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

ST HELENS coach Daniel Anderson watched his side claim top spot in the engage Super League with a 36-16 victory over Warrington and then revealed his blossoming relationship with Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez.

Benitez took a break from the stresses and strains of Premier League management to witness Saints claiming the League Leaders’ Shield for the third successive year.

The Anfield chief was a special guest at Knowsley Road and cannot fail to have been impressed as Anderson’s men outscored Warrington by seven tries to two.

Finishing top guarantees Saints an all-important home play-off semi-final against the side who finish second in the table.

Benitez’s presence confirmed Anderson’s desire to forge links with football clubs.

“It’s good to see anyone who feels they can enjoy a night out away from their own sport,” said Anderson. “I certainly enjoy going to football matches and I’ve stood on the Kop at Anfield.

“I enjoyed that as much as anyone, and I’ve met Rafa a couple of times and been to Melwood.

“I looked at their set-up and had lunch with him and saw Liverpool operate.” Anderson has won every trophy in sight since succeeding Ian Millward at Knowsley Road and is constantly seeking ideas and practices from other successful clubs in football and beyond.

“As part of my professional development I’ve been to Bolton and went to Manchester United a few weeks ago,” he explained.

“I’m going to Liverpool’s Academy next week. It’s about taking little bits from different people and modifying them into your own game.”

Anderson is presiding over a golden era at St Helens and few would bet against his men adding the Super League title to their Challenge Cup and League Leaders’ Shield.

In front of a bumper 11,746 crowd, Kiwi wing Francis Meli claimed a hat-trick while Lee Gilmour, Ade Gardner, James Roby and Leon Pryce were also on the scoresheet against a Wolves side who had Great Britain forward Adrian Morley sent off in the 68th minute for a high tackle.

Anderson, who revealed prop Nick Fozzard sustained a muscle injury in his arm, praised his players’ latest feat.

The former New Zealand coach, whose side finish their league campaign away to sworn enemies Wigan next week, said: “We’re just enjoying winning and playing well and we’ve started to find our touch in the last couple of weeks.

“We’ve finished top and we’ve deserved to finish top.”

The result has done no favours for Warrington, whose play-off ambitions now hang by a thread after this third defeat in their last four outings.

Failure to finish in the top six would be nothing short of disastrous for Paul Cullen’s men, who again recruited heavily in the winter but have typically failed to live up to expectations.

Perhaps the bitterest pill to swallow for Cullen and his players is that defeat at Knowsley Road came as no real surprise.

Warrington have not won at St Helens for 13 years and have lost on every visit there since pulling off a 21-11 victory in a Champion-ship match in January 1994. In Super League encounters between the clubs, Saints have now won 28 and Warrington just one.

Cullen, whose side claimed tries from Kevin Penny and Martin Gleeson, saw Mark Gleeson and Rob Parker taken to hospital after the game.

Cullen said: “Mark Gleeson has gone to hospital and Rob Parker is on his way there now.

“Rob has got a suspected fractured cheekbone and Mark has sustained an elbow injury.” Cullen refused to accept that Morley’s high tackle on Saints youngster was deserving of a straight red card. He argued: “I thought it was a penalty at the most.”