Wednesday 31 July 2019 10:56, UK
Rugby league researcher Ian Proctor looks at some notable statistics from Justin Holbrook’s time in charge at St Helens...
Following last Saturday's semi-final win over Halifax, Holbrook will become the first Saints coach to lead them out at Wembley since Daniel Anderson completed his hat-trick of Challenge Cup triumphs with the win over Hull FC in 2008.
St Helens could clinch a second successive League Leaders' Shield as early as Saturday if they defeat Wakefield Trinity on Friday and Warrington Wolves lose away to Catalans Dragons for the second time this season the following day.
Saints are 10 points ahead of second-placed Warrington and Gold Coast Titans-bound Holbrook will have his sights on emulating Anderson's 2006 treble with Saints.
His side finished six points clear of the rest of Super League after 30 rounds in his first full season in charge in 2018.
But they fell short when it mattered, losing the Cup semi-final to Catalans and in then falling at home to Warrington in the Super League play-off semi-finals
The 43-year-old has won 79 per cent of his games as Saints coach, making it 62 wins from 78 matches after last week's Challenge Cup semi-final defeat of Halifax.
Saints finished as Super League leaders for a record eighth time in 2018 - a feat achieved by predecessors Anderson, Shaun McRae, Ian Millward and Nathan Brown.
Arriving mid-way through 2017, Holbrook did well to maintain Saints' 20-year run of play-off appearances, when all had seemed lost, but they suffered an extra-time play-off semi-final defeat at Castleford.
His first game brought the 45-0 Magic Weekend victory against Hull FC in Newcastle, a week after Saints had been humiliated 53-10 in the Challenge Cup at Castleford Tigers.
The half-back's NRL playing career amounted to just 17 first-grade games - five for Newcastle (1999-2000), eight for Penrith (2001) and four for Sydney Roosters (2002).
Holbrook was coach of the Junior Kangaroos having started his coaching career as captain-coach of Dapto.
His NRL break came in 2009 when he was appointed as assistant coach of Cronulla Sharks' NSW Cup team before coaching Canterbury Bulldogs' feeder team in 2010.
Holbrook moved to St George-Illawarra Dragons as coach of the National Youth Cup team, followed by taking on an identical role with Parramatta in 2014.
Appointed coach of the Junior Kangaroos in 2015, he was taken under the wing of Trent Robinson at Sydney Roosters as their attacking coach.
