WHEN Northern Pride centre Brett Anderson looks around him at training, he sees a backline with unlimited potential.
The former Melbourne Storm centre yesterday said the Pride backline named to take on the Sunshine Coast on Saturday night boasted the experience and talent to worry any team in the competition.
However, he added that combinations were still a work in progress and it would take time for the Pride to be at its potent best.
"We’ve got plenty of experience here and the boys will learn a lot off each other," he said. "At the moment, we’re really just learning each other’s games, but that’s been working out all right."
Anderson, along with winger Brenton Bowen and halfback Chris Sheppard, boasts valuable NRL experience while centre Mark Dalle Cort came to the club after an English Super League stint with the Celtic Crusaders.
"There’s definitely a lot of talent here," Anderson said.
"Most of the boys have played in the NRL or Super League in Dalle’s case."
Experience at high levels of the game also generates high expectations from fans, but Anderson said he did not feel any extra pressure to perform.
"It doesn’t put any pressure on me," he said.
"We’ll just go out and do our best every week which is all you can ask."
Anderson admitted that the players were keen to put the pre-season behind them and launch the season proper, beginning with Saturday night’s 2009 grand final replay at Barlow Park.
"Everyone’s pretty pumped up," he said.
"It’s been getting exciting for the last month and everyone’s a bit over the pre-season, they just want to play."
Anderson, a member of the Pride’s 2008 season squad before heading to Melbourne, said he had not experienced any difficulties in returning to the club.
