Few know better than Paul Anderson the importance of sheer physicality and brute force in a successful rugby league team.

The Huddersfield coach was part of the ‘awesome foursome’ alongside Brian McDermott, Stuart Fielden and Joe Vagana, who laid the foundations for the Bulls’ golden era in the late nineties and early years of the millennium.

“A good big ’un will always beat a good little ’un,” said Anderson as he prepares to face his former club in Sunday’s Magic Weekend encounter.

“Our wingers were bigger than our front-rowers at times when Big Les (Vainikolo) and Tevita Vaikona were playing.

“Then we had Shontayne (Hape) and Scott Naylor in the centres and Stuart Spruce at full back.

“The pure physicality of the place was a massive thing for me.

“I left Bradford at the end of 2004 and life moves on. But I look back at my time there with great fondness because of the success we enjoyed.”

McDermott and Anderson have, of course, taken up posts as Super League head coaches, Fielden signed for Huddersfield during the off-season and Vagana now resides in his homeland.

“There were some good times with a lot of good friendships made,” added the Castleford-born 41-year-old.

“I spoke to Joe a few times last year and he’s doing a lot of work with kids back in New Zealand.

“If I was to pick my all-time 13, Macca would be the first name on my teamsheet.

“Brian did all the small things which allowed myself, Joe and maybe Stuart to get the rewards that we did.

“He’s pretty forthright in his opinions and the way he talks isn’t he?

“Obviously he’s getting the best out of himself as a coach and his players at Leeds too.”

Appointed as successor to Nathan Brown last year, Anderson is not doing too badly either.

His team recently dumped McDermott’s Rhinos out of the Tetley’s Challenge Cup and lie second in the Super League table.

The man known as Baloo, whose acquisition of Fielden and Craig Kopczak during the winter gave the appropriately-named Giants a monstrous pack, is keen that his side last the distance in the race for silverware this year.

He said: “We need to put a few years together in regards to consistently being around the top four and major finals.

“If you do that then the law of averages tells you that you’re going to win something.

“If that’s the catalyst to kick us on as a club then so be it.

“I’m learning every day in regards to my role, what I want from my team and the way we want the game to develop.

“I’ve been involved in the game since I was a kid and it’s something I love doing.”

How has Kopczak fared since walking out on his hometown club to join the Giants in such controversial fashion last year?

“He’s been really good,” said Anderson. “For such a young man he’s very mature and he’s been good for our environment.

“Koppy is a good player who’s only going to get better.

“He’s got the physicality but he’s got an offloading game which we’re trying to encourage him to use more. There’s still plenty of improvement in him.”

Fielden will miss out through injury this weekend but on-loan Huddersfield forward Jacob Fairbank could play against his parent club.

The nephew of the legendary Bradford northern prop Karl Fairbank is under contract to Huddersfield until the end of 2015.

Anderson said: “Bobby (Jacob) is still in the long-term picture here; it’s just unfortunate for him that we have a healthy squad right now.

“He just needed some game time under his belt and Franny and the Bulls have given him that opportunity to play regularly.

“One of the games is against Huddersfield and I said ‘if you’re not comfortable with that, we won’t do it’. But he said ‘I just want to play’.

“To be fair to Bobby, he’s a tough kid. The Fairbanks are a tough breed.”

Despite his historical affection for Bradford, Anderson is unequivocal about where his loyalties now lie, especially after his side were stuffed by the Bulls back in March.

He said: “I’m employed by Huddersfield Giants now, and for myself and my family I’ve got to do the best I can for my club.”