Anderson speaks highly of Johnson and Penny

11:17am Monday 12th May 2008

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DANIEL Anderson described Kevin Penny's try against his Saints team on Saturday as "one of the best you'll ever see."

The former New Zealand head coach, who has led St Helens to two Challenge Cup Final successes, spoke highly of Wolves' part in the fifth round tie and appeared to be a relieved men that the holders were marching on in this year's competition.

He said: "It was one of the most skilful displays on show that I've seen.

"I've never seen bigger plays from players of both sides.

"Some of the balls being passed to blokes that were going in for tries were superb.

"Paul Johnson's pass around someone's back to put Chris Hicks in - just so much skill across the board.

"Then Lee Gilmour was the only bloke on the field who played to the whistle from a pass on the ground and beat a couple of players to score.

"We've had plenty of hard challenges in our winning run.

"But even when we were ahead by 16 points I thought that Warrington were going to come back. They are an extremely dangerous team.

"With seven or eight minutes to go you could tell that we completely thought it was over but they just rode through us for a couple of tries and then it became very hairy play until Longy (Sean Long) got the ball back at the end.

"Sometimes you've got to applaud the skill of the attacking team.

"That try Kevin Penny scored was one of the best you'll ever see.

"He (Michael Monaghan) passed the ball back to his full back (Chris Hicks) in his own in-goal area and then passed it to a winger who runs 80 metres and beats three or four blokes. I'm impressed by it."

Anderson was asked if he would pick Penny in his team, with the reporter suggesting that the winger leaks more tries than he scores.

"Young players do make errors," said Anderson.

"I've got blokes that make errors, too.

"When he's played 50 to 100 games in first grade you're going to see a polished product.

"At the moment he's still a bit of a rough diamond.

"No player in the competition can match him for toe (pace).

"He scores tries against us regularly so I know Warrington will pick him against us."

* Penny has scored in every first-team game he has played against St Helens.