League: Eels coach expects bruising encounter

Daniel Anderson used to bank on a vocal crowd lifting his side when he was coach of the Warriors and he expects the Mt Smart faithful to be nothing but "one-eyed and parochial" when he brings the Parramatta Eels to the ground tonight.

Asked how the pre-game fire-up he delivers to the Eels tonight will differ from that he used to work up the Warriors, he laughed and said, "I'm not telling you."

"A big, bruising encounter" is what he expects from the 80 minutes of football.

"Their trial form was ultra-impressive. They have tremendous depth and a lot of talent in their depth. I'm sure they're going to be very confident of their chances this season."

Anderson was with the Warriors for more games than John Monie, Frank Endacott and Mark Graham who coached them before him and than Tony Kemp and Ivan Cleary who came after, but he doesn't think that gives him any edge in knowing the players and their capabilities or what has to be done to stop them. Nor does pre-season trial form.

"You can't take too much out of the trials - in general you don't find out much about your own players and the opposition players until the season gets cracking. What we all know is that players like Steve Price and Brent Tate and Nathan Cayless and Nathan Hindmarsh have performed well year-in and year-out. We know a bit about Manu Vatuvei but really you can't take your eye off any of the Warriors players," Anderson said.

He's feeling "comfortable" back at Parramatta where he began his league coaching career because some of the same faces are still around the club and he knows the local geography. "I'm enjoying the coaching but we haven't played any games yet so everyone is looking after me."

That comment acknowledges the pressure to succeed at the west Sydney club and the early departure of the last two coaches who couldn't, Brian Smith in 2006 and Michael Hagan in mid-2008.

Wrangling continues on the Eels' board after an A$7.8 million ($9.8 million) loss in 2008 with former great Ray Price aligned against long-serving chief executive Denis Fitzgerald.

"Parramatta has always collected a lot of inches in the Sydney papers," he said, denying any feeling of extra pressure in his three-year deal after three with St Helens in Super League

The English game suffered because they could not train outdoors in their pre-season during winter "so the players do not develop their fundamentals as well as NRL players do".

And the intensity was not consistent because of the gap in personnel between the big clubs and the bottom runners. But it was not second-rate.

"I enjoyed their attacking style of play, you probably learn more about attacking."

He also lauded the toughness of the English players and their longevity. Steve Price plays his 300th game today but Keiron Cunningham [Saints hooker] had played over 400 matches.

The Anderson family are enjoying "more fresh air, more light in the day, the food's better and there's more colour in it".

"I really enjoyed my time at Saint Helens but we were all keen to come back [to Sydney]. I'm very lucky this job opened up." He had an affinity with Parramatta because it was where he started; there were only 16 jobs in the NRL "and they're all dream jobs", Anderson said.

The Eels of 2008 lacked commitment, halfback Brett Finch and others have admitted during the 2009 pre-season. They let themselves, coach Hagan, the fans and the club down and have vowed to make amends.

Anderson said he knew little of the background and saw no point pursuing what 2008's problems were. "I don't think they ever lacked determination."

He praised the efforts of his former fullback Ivan Cleary with the Warriors. "They have been building for a couple of years now. Parramatta have to make a significant turnaround this season."

The Eels have a tough start, five away games from their first eight ahead of a bye. He does not expect instant success. "We have a brutal start against the Warriors, I expect after the first four or five weeks I'll have a fair idea what we're capable of."

He had a good leadership group, Anderson said, with Nathan Cayless whom he knows from Kiwis campaigns appointed again as captain, age 30. Hindmarsh, 29, was keen to regain his Kangaroos jersey and declining time in the game would be a motivator for those two, he said. "They know their opportunities are running out."

Kiwis prop Fuifui Moimoi from Mt Albert Lions, Krisnan Inu from the Ellerslie club, Weller Hauraki from Dannevirke and former Warrior Joe Galuvao are also in the Eels' 19, none expecting a warm welcome at Mt Smart. "There might be a half dozen Eels fans out there if we're lucky."

DANIEL ANDERSON:

* Age 41
* Never played top grade.
* Eels reserve grade coach 1999, assistant NRL coach to Brian Smith 2000.
* Warriors coach 2001-May 2004, 92 games (most by any Warriors coach, Ivan Cleary second on 77) for 51 wins, 39 losses and two draws (55 per cent). Made finals in eighth place 2001 and knocked out by the Eels, made grand final 2002 and lost 30-8 to the Roosters, made preliminary final 2003 and knocked out by eventual premiers Penrith 28-24).
* Dally M Coach of the Year 2002.
* St Helens 2006-2008, won the Challenge Cup and Super League titles in 2006, Super League losing grand finalists 2007-08.
* Kiwis coach 2003-2005.

IVAN CLEARY:

* Age 37.
* 186 top grade games for Manly, North Sydney, the Roosters and Warriors (53 from 2000-2003).
* Roosters premier league coach 2003-04.
* Warriors coach 2005-on, 77 games for 40 wins, 36 losses and one draw (51 per cent). Made finals in fourth and lost the qualifying final 21-10 to Parramatta at Mt Smart then lost 49-12 to the Cowboys in Townsville and were eliminated; 2008 made finals in eighth and beat the Storm 18-15 in Melbourne and the Roosters 30-13 at Mt Smart before being eliminated by eventual premiers Manly 32-6.