Defiant Anderson says Warrington should fear his Giants title-chasers

Although the West Yorkshire club lifted the League Leaders’ Shield, they lost their right to a home semi-final after losing to Wigan Warriors in the opening play-off.

Second-placed Warrington, controversially, then went against the grain by choosing Huddersfield as their ClubCall pick instead of lowest-ranked Leeds Rhinos.

Given Tony Smith’s side impressive record against Huddersfield – they seek a ninth consecutive win this evening – it is understandable.

However, Anderson insisted: “Regardless of who you’re playing, it’s play-off football.

“If you can’t aim up now, you never will. It is a fair challenge for us but everybody is talking about us living with Warrington – let’s see how Warrington go with us.

“That’s not being brutal or cocky or anything. That’s the mentality we’ve got. Some people don’t give us a chance but I couldn’t care at all if I’m honest. My message hasn’t changed all year.

“I’m not changing. Ask the players – we’re still doing the same things as at the start of the year, we’ve just got to keep improving on them.

“Hopefully if we do things right Thursday, we get another week to keep improving on them again.”

Victory would mark Huddersfield’s maiden Grand Final appearance and keep them in line for a first championship title in more than half-a-century.

But Anderson, widely expected to win Super League Coach of the Year on Monday having taken them from seventh to first in his first season as a No1, says his players deserve nothing less.

“We should expect to play in these games,” he said, with a fully-fit squad to choose from. “These are the games you work all year for, when you sleep in puddles in pre-season and do all the tough things through the campaign.

“Ask me Thursday night if we’re peaking at the right time but physically, mentally and football-wise, the players have done everything we’ve asked of them.

“We’ve managed them really well throughout and that shows in terms of who we’ve got available at this point.”

He has made fringe players Anthony Mullally and Josh Johnson available to Batley Bulldogs coach John Kear for Sunday’s Championship Grand Final.

“I spoke to John before and said, ‘I’m jealous of you. I want to be where you are this time next week,’” said Anderson.

“He said, ‘Keep doing what you’re doing, you give yourselves a chance’.

“We know we have to play well as it’s semi-final play-off football but we know we’re capable of it.”

Meanwhile, Huddersfield captain Danny Brough has won the Rugby League Writers’ Association Player of the Year.

Warrington have also confirmed they have granted ex-Huddersfield captain Brett Hodgson, 35, an early release from his contract and the 2009 Man of Steel will leave at the end of this season.