ST HELENS rugby league coach Daniel Anderson has geared up for Friday's Carnegie World Club Challenge by tapping into the secrets of Sam Allardyce's success.
Saints, who last season won all three major trophies with something to spare, face Australian NRL champions Brisbane Broncos at Bolton's Reebok Stadium.
They will go into the encounter on the back of two defeats from their opening three games, but Anderson believes that emulating Bolton's scientific approach can help to maintain their position as a dominant force.
The Saints coach spent a day with Bolton performance director Mike Forde at their training ground and admitted: "I didn't fully appreciate the huge strides Bolton have made, and it was a bit of an eye-opener for me.
"There's not a huge chasm between the core elements of sports and there were things I learned from Bolton that we can definitely add to our own programme and mimic in our own way.
"For example, their medical department is highly acclaimed and that gives you food for thought in terms of how players can be looked after and nursed back from injury, which is particularly pertinent in rugby league.
"There's an open invitation to a couple of members of their staff to now come to St Helens and see what we do."
