St Helens V Salford - Preview

New Zealand international Vinnie Anderson will make his St Helens debut in the second row against Salford in Friday?s engage Super League match at Knowsley Road.

The 26-year-old Kiwi, who trained with his new team-mates for the first time on Monday, played at stand-off throughout the Tri-Nations Series last autumn but has been chosen to start his English career in his favourite back-row spot.

Anderson, who has signed a three-year contract, was snapped up from under the noses of London Broncos.

?I always viewed St Helens as the big club over here and, when my manager told me about their offer, there was no need to look elsewhere. Bradford put forward an offer but I never intended going there.?

St Helens had room on their salary cap after recently offloading Ricky Bibey, Michael Smith and Dom Feaunati.

But chairman Eamonn McManus said the capture of Anderson, while completing the squad for 2005, did not mean an end to their ambitious bid to bring Sonny Bill Williams to the club.

The New Zealand loose forward is out of contract with Canterbury Bulldogs this year and has yet to make a decision over his future.

?The offer is still on the table, although the feedback is that he is likely to stay with the Bulldogs,? said McManus.

Meanwhile, St Helens are set to welcome back Great Britain internationals Sean Long and Paul Sculthorpe for Friday?s clash with the Reds.

They have both recovered from leg injuries, leaving only stand-off Jason Hooper on the casualty list.

St Helens v Salford, Knowsley Road, Friday 11th March

St Helens 18-man squad: Wellens, Albert, Lyon, Talau, Gardner, Sculthorpe, Long, Fozzard, Higham, P. Anderson, V. Anderson, Gilmour, Cunningham, Bennett, Wilkin, Graham, Roby, Edmondson.

Salford 18-man squad: Fitzpatrick, Hodgson, Littler, McGuinness, Stewart, Beverley, Robinson, Dickens, Alker, Rutgerson, Charles, Haggerty, Johnson, Coley, Brocklehurst, Baldwin, Jonkers, Bamford.

Thanks to: http://www.superleague.co.uk for another excellent article.