By Julian Shea

Rival coaches Anderson and Morgan are related by marriage

When a team is on a roll, the fans sing the names of the players and the coach. When a team is on the skids, they call for the heads of the board members.

But when Hull Kingston Rovers, the BBC Sport website's current Road to Twickenham team, face St Helens in the Challenge Cup semi-final on Saturday, both sets of directors can feel they have done their bit to help their teams get there.

Robins boss Justin Morgan and Daniel Anderson of Saints each took up their jobs just over a year ago.

Since then, the pair, who are related by marriage, have taken their teams to the top of their divisions, making their chief executives very satisfied men in the process.

Morgan's achievements are all the more impressive given he is only 30 and in his first season in English rugby.

But the Australian's success is no great surprise to Robins chief executive Paul Lakin.

"We asked a couple of current Super League coaches to recommend a good young coach. They all said Justin," he told BBC Sport.

"In recent years, it has been a bit of a revolving door here, but we're a young and ambitious board with strong thoughts on how we want to move the club forward.

"We wanted someone like-minded."

Hull KR went through a pretty intense screening of Morgan before giving him the job.

"Justin was coaching at Toulouse at the time, so we invited him over and spent four days with him, to get to understand him," explained Lakin.

Hull KR's 'special one'

"By the time he flew back, I was very confident he had something special."

At just 30, Morgan, whose sister is married to Anderson's brother, is still young enough to be playing rather than coaching.

Lakin said Morgan's youth was part of his appeal.

"He's been a player recently, so he can really relate to the squad, and they respect that," said Lakin.

"His man-management is very impressive, too. He puts in hours studying videos to get our game-plan right."

Morgan, who played under Anderson at Parramatta and New Zealand Warriors, was given free rein by the board.

He repaid that faith by guiding the club to a record 24-game winning streak.

The run finally ended in the Northern Rail Cup final earlier this month, when the Robins suffered a shock 22-18 loss to Leigh.

It was a big disappointment, said Lakin, but he feels the unexpected reverse may actually be a blessing in disguise.

He's very calm and practical, with a limited amount of fuss - that's what I really liked St Helens chairman Eammon McManus on Daniel Anderson

"We must remember how low we felt after that and use it to our advantage," he said.

Now it is the mighty St Helens, who stand between Hull KR and a place in another final.

"It doesn't get bigger than playing Saints, on national television," added Lakin. "This is probably the biggest game of every player's life so far.

"The overwhelming feeling is just one of excitement.

"We've got pace all over the side and we're not afraid to throw the ball around, like Saints do.

"We'll totally respect them, but we won't fear them."

A year ago, the dust of Ian Millward's very public exit from Knowsley Road had barely settled before New Zealand national team coach Daniel Anderson had succeeded him in the St Helens hotseat.

Twelve months later, Saints are top of the Super League and one win away from a trip to Twickenham.

As far as Saints chairman Eammon McManus is concerned, it is a case of so far so good.

"We only had a short window to find a new coach," he recalled.

"Daniel had done superbly with the New Zealand Warriors and the national side, so he had a great record working with elite players and also developing youngsters.

Rovers have won the trophy once, Saints have won it nine times

"I felt he could get the best out of both here at Saints - and he has."

McManus says Anderson is very different from his famously fiery predecessor.

"He's very calm and practical, with a limited amount of fuss," said the Saints chief. "That's what I really liked."

When he joined the club, Anderson told this website he had been told the two most important things for Saints were beating Wigan and success in the Challenge Cup.

"He's beaten Wigan five times while last year's Challenge Cup semi-final defeat is the only disappointment so far," said McManus.

"The expectation we had of his first season in charge was the same as every season - to win at least one trophy."

McManus expects a stiff test from Hull KR.

"Rovers are the calibre of a midtable Super League side, and I'm sure they'll be tougher as a result of losing their unbeaten record," he said.

"We're strong all over the pitch, so what we've got to do is maintain composure.

"We've got to concentrate on who we are and what we do, and play to the level Daniel instructs us to."