Anderson out to cut Saints down to size

Feb 22 2008 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

ST HELENS coach Daniel Anderson is hoping to cut Bradford down to size in tonight’s eagerly-anticipated clash at Odsal.

The Bulls are playing an open brand of rugby under Steve McNamara, but Anderson believes their strength still lies in the power and size fashioned by former coaches Matthew Elliott and Brian Noble.

“Bradford have recruited pretty strongly,” said Anderson. “They’re still a huge team – they’re still probably the biggest in the competition.”

Experienced front rowers Joe Vagana and Andy Lynch are in good early-season form, and Anderson has also been impressed by teenage sensation Sam Burgess – who was man of the match in Bradford’s 38-12 win over Huddersfield last Saturday.

“Who isn’t impressed by him?” asked Anderson.

“I saw him for the first time last year in round three. He was standing next to Steve Tyer – and he dwarfed him. He’s very impressive and handles himself well off the field. He’s definitely a boy beyond his years.”

Saints, whose record 66-4 win at Odsal in 2005 was one of only three away victories over Bradford in 12 seasons of Super League, are not helped by the loss of the bulk of their pack through injury.

Jason Cayless, Jon Wilkin, Maurie Fa’asavalu and Chris Flannery are on the sidelines – and although captain Paul Sculthorpe is in Anderson’s 18-man squad, there is no guarantee he will play.

“They’ve ’dusted’ us the last two times we’ve been to Odsal,” added Anderson. “We know they play very well there, and they’re a good team any way.

“But we’re comfortable going there. We’re pretty buoyant after Friday night. We’re down a few bodies at the moment, but you’ve got to deal with it.”

Hull are another side down on numbers and go into tonight’s home game against Wigan as one of only three teams without a point from the opening two rounds. Captain Lee Radford returns from injury, however, and prop Ewan Dowes is confident Hull will be competing for honours by the end of the season.

“I believe the club is going forward in the right way, and we have a squad of players with the ability to win something,” said Dowes, who today signed a two-year contract extension.

“People might question that after losing our first two games, but I know we will turn that around and I am confident we will be in the shake-up for honours at the end of the season.”

Wigan coach Brian Noble also expects Hull to be challenging for trophies and believes last week’s surprise home defeat by Harlequins will have served only to harden their resolve.

“I went to the game at Hull and bumped into a few of the Hull fans, who were a little bit disgruntled,” he said.

“I just reinforced (coach) Peter Sharp’s message that you’ve got to be patient in situations like that. It’s not nice having six of your best players out. It becomes difficult, and expectations can become a little unrealistic.

“But it was probably the worst result in the world for us. They will certainly have had a flea in their ear from their coach, and the expectations will be a whole lot higher from the fans – so it makes our job doubly hard on Friday night.

“In relation to the adversity they’re going through at moment, they will obviously ’bar up’. They will be very determined, and we are going to face a really physically tough challenge.”