PAUL ANDERSON admits he could not have written a more perfect script as he brought the curtain down on his career in record-breaking fashion.

The giant St Helens prop forward, who turns 35 next week, hung up his boots after Saturday's 26-4 Grand Final win over Hull which enabled him to complete the treble for the second time in three years.

The former Bradford favourite, who is joining the Huddersfield Giants' coaching staff, picked up a fourth Super League ring in what was a record-equalling sixth Grand Final appearance in front of a bumper 72,582 crowd at Old Trafford.

"It's Roy of the Rovers stuff, isn't it" he said. "It just doesn't get any better, it's awesome.

"I think retirement will hit me come November and December when pre-season starts at Huddersfield and probably then again in January and February when the matches start.

"I may get itchy feet then but I'm just going to savour what I've achieved this year.

"I've done the treble now twice and managed to finish my career with it so I'm thrilled."

Anderson's former Bulls teammate Leon Pryce, who was man of the match in Bradford's Grand Final win over Leeds 12 months earlier, again came up with the game-breaking try on the stroke of half-time.

The scores were locked at 4-4 until Pryce's timely intervention and Saints struck twice more early in the second half through Willie Talau and Ade Gardner to clinch their fourth Grand Final triumph and a fifth Super League title in the 11 years of summer rugby.

Hull, who were the only visiting team to win at Knowsley Road all season, were simply no match in the end for the champions but Anderson paid tribute to their battling qualities.

"That game, right from the first to the 80th minutes, was every bit as tough as the 12-8 win a fortnight ago," he said.

"Hull are a very physical team and I'm sure with the people they are adding to the squad I wouldn't put it past them being back here next year."

Hull scrum-half Richard Horne echoed Anderson's sentiment, insisting the beaten finalists would come back bigger and stronger from the experience.

"It just wasn't our day," he said. "It was our first final and it was a learning curve for us. We've set goals to improve each year and we've done that.

"Hopefully, we'll be here next year. We've got a taste for it now. When we walked out and saw all the fans in front of us, it was just awesome."

Hull will mount their next challenge under a new leader after Richard Swain announced he would be relinquishing the captaincy.

The former Melbourne hooker intends to spend much of next season grooming new signing Wayne Godwin as his successor and, therefore, is likely to spend less time on the field.

Meanwhile, Horne paid his own tribute to St Helens full-back Paul Wellens, who added the Harry Sunderland Trophy as man of the match to the Man of Steel award he collected earlier in the week.

"Paul Wellens came up with some great tackles on me," said Horne.

"He hung on to my bootlaces twice. I was looking at the line and the next minute I'm rolling down. That's why he is Man of Steel, he comes up with big plays. Taking chances is what they're good at, they're a class team."