If the circumstances in which Daniel Anderson took over as St Helens coach in May 2005 were not traumatic enough after the messy dismissal of Ian Millward, which had prompted demonstrations by supporters, his first glimpse of an antiquated Knowsley Road came during a fire evacuation. “It was outside my office,” Anderson said. “It was the first time I saw the stadium. It had character — I noticed that straight away.”

The episode might have been prophetic. Taking Millward’s seat in the ground was no more straightforward. “It was terrible,” Anderson said. “I couldn’t even see the whole field, so I moved through the directors’ box, until I found one where I could see everything and slapped the coach sign on it. The next game, the late Eric Ashton, the club president, whispered, ‘I’ve had that seat 28 years.’ I told him, ‘Well, you’ve had a good run, mate.’ ”

The affection for Millward ran deep; the admiration for Anderson, far more than a safe pair of hands after the swearing episodes that had prompted his fellow Australian’s dismissal, is boundless. He leaves after Saturday with a reputation burnished by five trophies in 3½ seasons and a potential sixth against Leeds Rhinos in a repeat of last year’s engage Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford — the one final Saints lost under Anderson.

Beating Hull there in the 2006 final and completing a league and Challenge Cup double is an obvious highlight — an achievement, too, that drew comparisons to Saints’ all-conquering team 40 years earlier, and which they hope to do again on Saturday, having overcome Hull at Wembley five weeks ago. But for Anderson, “every game at Knowsley Road was a highlight”.

As for walking into the storm stirred up by Millward’s removal, the former New Zealand Warriors and New Zealand national team coach was relaxed. “Only one person said, ‘It’s good you’re here and he’s gone.’ Some bloke spoke about my being ‘the gaffer’ and I didn’t know what the hell he was talking about,” Anderson said. “I still don’t know what most people are saying. I’ve always enjoyed looking out over the Popular Side at the ground, but never understood a word. Apparently they’ve been asking me to stand and wave. I’d no idea.”

There was never any likelihood of any discussions with Millward when Anderson took over, but Mick Potter, who joins next season after an auspicious three-year spell at Catalans Dragons, has been in regular contact. “We’ve chatted about players coming through and the potential of some of the young guys, but he’s a coach with his own ideas and he’ll make his own decisions,” Anderson said.

Potter’s appointment was confirmed in April, nearly a year after Anderson had indicated he would return to Australia. One by one, the coaching vacancies have been filled in the NRL, but Anderson has been resolute about his leaving date and giving time to his family “after eight years dragging them around the world”. Far from distracting the minds of the players, his impending departure has concentrated them. He has felt more relaxed and that has transmitted through to the squad, with not only James Graham, James Roby and Jon Wilkin performing at the height of their powers, but Keiron Cunningham and Sean Long rolling back the years.

As for how St Helens would do in the NRL, Anderson is in little doubt. “Saints and Leeds would be top four,” he said. “Good players are good players in whichever hemisphere. Those Antipodeans who come here, though, know — they’re tough buggers, rugby league players in northern England.”