Anderson prepared to take risk for Halifax

Tony Anderson admits that he has taken a huge gamble by agreeing to becoming Halifax's new coach. Anderson was unveiled yesterday at a club which is threatened by financial problems as well as the more immediate danger of relegation.

"I've been ready for a first-team job and the chance finally came up,'' he said. "I hope I haven't let my heart rule my head and made me jump in too quickly.''

Anderson, who played for Halifax during their successes in the 1980s and was later assistant coach at the club, has left his role as No 2 at Hull to try and steer his old club to safety. "I've given up quite a bit of security,'' he said. "If it had been another club in the same circumstances I wouldn't have taken the job, but Halifax is special to me.''

Halifax sacked their previous coach, Steve Linnane, on Saturday, a month after giving him a new contract. His fellow Australian Anderson has signed a deal that covers only the four remaining matches of this season and for next. "I believe that I can improve things,'' he said. "If not I'll be prepared to admit it.''

Anderson's immediate task is to prepare his players for a relegation four-pointer against Warrington on Sunday. "I'm going to try and change things slightly, because I don't believe you can win games by playing negatively,'' he said.

Shaun McRae, Anderson's boss at Hull and before that at Gateshead, has given him his full backing. "I said at the start of the year that if anyone was looking for a coach, they shouldn't look too much further than Tony Anderson,'' he said. "He's ready for it."

McRae does not intend to make a quick appointment to succeed Anderson, but could have the off-field assistance of Jason Smith for the rest of the season. The Hull captain dislocated his elbow in the win over Salford on Sunday and the fear is that he could be out for the rest of the campaign.

McRae said: "I don't intend to rush into making an appointment to replace Tony and perhaps Jason could help me out.''

Hull also fear that they could be without their second-rower Sean Ryan for several weeks with an ankle injury that is also a legacy of the Salford match.