An email conversation with Daniel Anderson: 'St Helens is a down to earth place, the players first class'

You've coached in Australia, New Zealand and England. Where is home? I have not been a head coach at the NRL level in Australia, but home is Sydney.

You've said you will go back to Australia after next season. Could anything change your mind? The decision is family-based. We will have been away for eight years and it is time for us to put down some roots and let our children settle. My family have followed me around the world so I could fulfil ambitions and dreams and it is time that they were put first. We have been renting houses and have moved five times and we would like to settle into our own home.

What will you miss most? St Helens is a very down-to-earth place. The people are very genuine. The club has been very supportive, especially the chairman, Eamonn McManus. The players, those from the town and the imports, are first-class players and first-class blokes. The partners and the families have made my family's stay very enjoyable. We will miss friends, but I will not miss the dark winters.

Saints are bidding for a second treble against Leeds in Saturday's Super League Grand Final. Will it be a greater achievement than the first, last season? I'll tell you after the game – I'm not big on talking up events that have not taken place yet.

You have lost more games this season. Why? The 2006 season is unlikely to be repeated in a very long time, with just four losses. This season has been more difficult for the following reasons. Our significant injury toll: Jason Hooper missed 32 games, Paul Sculthorpe 22, Mike Bennett eight, Sean Long 12, Lee Gilmour eight, Ade Gardner four, Jon Wilkin nine, Willie Talau six, Francis Meli six, Jason Cayless five, Maurie Fa'asavalu six. Also, every successful season has a knock-on effect with the remuneration of young players and their value in the market, so it is more difficult to keep them. And give credit to our opposition. Teams have measured their improvement against Saints.

You've had two outstanding scrum-halves: Stacey Jones at the New Zealand Warriors and Sean Long at Saints. Compare and contrast. Stacey Jones carried the burden of creativity at club and international level for many years. His best footy was when there were foils in the hooker and full-back positions, though he won many games on his own with freakish individual skill. He was very coachable, and scored one of the best ever individual tries in the 2002 NRL Grand Final. Sean Long is a very intelligent half-back. He knows the nuances of all his opposition. He's been a pleasure to coach. A great communicator, the classic dominant half-back. He'll make a very good coach when he hangs up his boots. It has been my privilege and pleasure to coach two brilliant but different players.

How good can Matty Smith be? Matty has developed tremendously. Opportunities have been presented through Sean's injuries and he has performed at a higher level in every game. He has to make gains physically to progress. Experience will build his knowledge, situational analysis and decision-making. He's a great fella, very popular in the dressing room.

Do you have a coaching philosophy? My philosophy evolves year on year. I'm a different coach now from the one I was in my first year as a head coach in 2001, but it's difficult to condense in a few words.

You've spent time with various football managers this year. Picked up anything useful? Every meeting is productive in that there are philosophies of training, protocols and preparation, in addition to physical resources that are different in every professional environment. I have enjoyed spending various amounts of time talking to some very impressive individuals.

How difficult was it taking over at Saints when a lot of the fans opposed Ian Millward being sacked? Not hard at all. I was not here with Ian so I got on with my job. I had to earn the fans' respect and the only way to do that was to work hard and get results.

As a former New Zealand coach, how good do you think they are going to be in this autumn's Test series? The Kiwis and Brits are both in transition. Many players on both sides have finished their international careers and many are not taking part in order to prepare for the 2008 World Cup. I think we will see some exciting new players: James Graham for Great Britain and Krisnan Inu for the Kiwis are two to watch.

Should Britain pick the Samoan Saint, Maurie Fa'asavalu, now he has declared his availability? He is eligible, available and keen, so he should be considered.

After the play-off victory over Leeds that put you in the Grand Final, you said it showed what was good about rugby league. How would you describe that to someone unfamiliar with the game? And how welcome was a weekend off after that match? Rugby league is a confrontational collision sport. The game is continuous and at the top level you must have courage, talent and a commitment to a team ethos. In the play-offs, players will get to a physical and mental stress level I do not think any other sport reaches. The week off is a blessing as we only had eight in training on Monday.

You have said that in Keiron Cunningham and James Roby Saints have the two best hookers in the game. Do you ever wonder how to use them both? We have used a similar system for most games and it works well. Robes has started some matches this year with Kez off the bench and that may happen again next year.

The Rugby League Writers voted Wigan's Australian stand-off Trent Barrett their player of the year for this season. A fair call? I can only comment on the games I watch. I am biased towards St Helens but Paul Wellens and Leon Pryce have been consistently high performers. Trent Barrett has played wonderfully well in all the games I have watched, so the writers are not far off the mark.

How badly do Saints need a new stadium, and how would you like to come back and see it on its opening night? They definitely need a new stadium and when it opens I would love to be there. The crowds will go up by 50 per cent in a new stadium.

Attachment:

* Name Daniel Anderson

* Born 3 May 1967, Australia

* Nickname DA

* Coaching career: Club Parramatta Eels (junior coach); New Zealand Warriors 2001-04; St Helens 2005-present International New Zealand 2003-05

* Honours Took NZ Warriors to NRL Grand Final in 2002; with St Helens won Challenge Cup, League Leader's Shield and Grand Final and was named BBC Coach of the Year in 2006. In 2007 Saints have won the World Club Challenge, Challenge Cup and League Leader's Shield. They face Leeds in Super League Grand Final on Saturday