Saints coach Anderson admits Warrington pose huge threat

Aug 9 2008 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

DANIEL ANDERSON admits Warrington pose a huge threat to his hopes of ending his St Helens career on a high by lifting the engage Super League in October.

Saints coach Anderson has seen his side win their last 17 games in all competitions and they are currently red-hot favourites to add a Grand Final appearance to their Challenge Cup final date in three weeks’ time.

But the Australian, who leaves the club at the end of the season, welcomes the in-form Wolves to the GPW Recruitment Stadium this evening knowing how dangerous a side they can be.

“Warrington are very good,” he said.

“With Jimmy Lowes the environment seems to have become comfortable for all the players. Sometimes it’s about that. The environment there seems conducive to the star players in the team. There seems to be more quality in their defensive shape more than anything.

“They still throw the ball around more than any other team in Super League. I enjoy watching them. Are they genuine contenders? – I think a lot of teams are genuine contenders. We are still a long way from the Grand Final. They have always been good enough but to have a say in the competition you look for consistency. Having said that, seven out of eight under James Lowes means that consistency has been rectified. It’s a good test for us and them this week.”

Anderson will be able to select the returning Nick Fozzard for the first time since February after the prop recovered from knee surgery and the coach believes the 31-year-old will be fine to return despite playing no reserve team games as preparation.

“Nick’s return gives us more flexibility and depth in selection,” he said. “It was a major knee injury and the mental side is more important than the physical side in his comeback as he has not been tackled yet.

“At some point he will be tackled in the same position as he was when he did the injury. I’m not worried about him going straight in without a reserve game.”

Fozzard’s return is countered by the loss of captain Paul Sculthorpe to a hamstring injury, although Sean Long does return from a bout of the mumps.

Despite losing the Anderson brothers for the remainder of the season this week, Lowes says that his side will be giving their all in a bid to end a horrid run of form against the Saints which has seen them win just one of their last 34 meetings.

“We are just really focussing on Saints with the players we have and we are going to have a good do at them,” he said. “Everyone knows about our record against them but the players are not interested in it and I am not interested in it. We were disappointed the last time we played them here because we know we should have beaten them.

“We are going there with a lot of determination and confidence and there will be plenty of effort.”

In today’s other game, Wigan travel to France to face the Catalans Dragons without their injured captain Sean O’Loughlin and suspended forward Gareth Hock who still has four games of his ban to serve.

That will rule him out of the rest of the regular season and coach Brian Noble admits O’Loughlin could miss the same length of time with his shoulder injury.

He said: “He is not ready yet. When his shoulder feels comfortable, we will put him back into contact training and then he may play the week after that.”

COLLATED SUMMARIES

engage Super League Leeds (16) 28. Tries: Tansey, Burgess, Scruton, Ablett, McGuire. Goals: Sinfield 3, Burrow. Bradford (12) 18. Tries: Sykes, Evans, Godwin. Goals: Harris 3. Att: 17,508 Co-operative National League One Salford (22) 58. Tries: White 2, Ratchford, Littler, Adamson, Gardner 2, R. Myler, Sibbit, Leuluai. Goals: Wilshere 6, Turner, Bannister 2. Dewsbury (0) 6. Tries: Epati. Goals: P. Walker. Att: 3,046

TODAY (3.00 unless stated) engage Super League Catalans Dragons v Wigan 7.00 St Helens v Warrington 7.00

TOMORROW: Engage Super League Hull v Huddersfield, 6.00, Hull KR v Harlequins RL, Wakefield v Castleford, 3.30. Co-Operative National League One: Batley v Halifax, Celtic Crusaders v Leigh, 4.10, Widnes v Featherstone