I’m happy with Brian McDermott. Life is full of happiness and sadness. I’d rather embrace these emotions than be a robotic troll like you who’s obviously always right.

I don't see why an apology is due.

McDermott lost twice to Harlequins, was losing after 65 mins twice to Crusaders plus was very fortunate to avoid two losses to Bradford with a miracle comeback - he lost three times to three of the four weakest teams in the competition and it could have been six.

He could have easily ended the season with more losses than wins, just a couple of late comebacks such as those identified prove that.

He also got thumped at home by over 30 points quite a few times.

He has come good since the second half at Wembley, but he has only been good since then and not before when he was rightly criticised.

You could argue that he has had a lot of luck with Rangi Chase's missed drop goal and a 1 point win, a 2 point win v Warrington and a lot of very convenient injuries (both Warrington and St Helens lost their fullbacks during the game in consecutive weeks).

I'm really pleased that Leeds won the Grand Final but I don't think anyone needs to eat humble pie. I think McDermott is an average coach (with a career record of more losses than wins) but he has had a great winning run for a number of weeks after 20+ runs of mediocrity.

If he can regularly produce, everyone will need to eat humble pie. Even at Quins he had good runs over 5 games or so but couldn't make it last.

I think the whole team whom played were signed by someone else, so he has been a capable steward, you can say that.

The two teams who have slated their coaches off for the first half of the season get to the grand final and not only that give us one of the best grand finals in history.

Even though the Wolves have been THE team this year, what Leeds have achieved is remarkable. It is a shot in the arm for the play-off format and to teams like Cas. Ahem, if they manage to finish in the top 8 that is!

Fairplay, they've been consistent. Yet they've been found short when it really matters; Challenge Cup & Super League playoffs. IMHO they only finished top of the league in the regular rounds due to playing Wigan the week after their CC win. Flat track bullies is an accurate appraisal.

Bad season but a good september and a great october

"we want our trophy back" - how prophetic that song was!

Do you still see him as the man to take you forward next season?

I hereby offer a full and unreserved apology to Brian Mac & Jimmy Lowes. Thanks to them and the players. What a game.

Shame Feeder couldn't make it. Perhaps these guys might be more appropriate:

Not really, we beat Wigan away earlier in the season and beat them home and away in 2010 when they were champions. We also beat Leeds and Saints home and away in the league this season.

We only got edged out in the playoffs in the final minutes of a close game against the eventual champions Leeds, ultimately that's where our season went. Did we deserve to win SL? No. But the argument of flat track bullies is a myth - that would hold if we were good at smashing lower table teams and always struggled against the top sides but we beat 4 of the top 5 teams in the league home and away, the only one we didn't was Hudds who we smashed 47-0 in the playoffs.

I am genuinely pleased for the guy.....he seems a decent guy, but the common denominator of all GF wins is this very special set of players ...indeed we might wait a long time to see this incredible team spirit again.

I wrote off both Leeds and Saints before the season started cos I thought, well it doesn't matter what I thought, I was wrong, congrats to Leeds and genuine commiserations to Stains, tonights was a proper game played well by both teams, the score didn't do stains justice.
I also didn't think McDermott was up to much as a coach, but, WTFDIK.

May I sum this thread up with these few words











WHO GIVES A FLYING FAHOOK!!!!


CCCCHHHHAAAAMMMPPPPIIIIOOOONNNNEEEESSSS!!!!!!!!!

brian sorry for dought your vision and bow and say sorry for lack of belief in u and the team i was wrong and tonight tops all the other victories so far sorry bri and alex

So all the defeats were his but all the wins were with a side he inherited? Pish off and support Hull or someone will ya?

I'm off out to buy some of that Leeds Rhinos wallpaper. It must be great at papering over the cracks!!

I'm munching a huge piece of humble pie today, i thought he was a terrible coach and wanted him gone, just shows how wrong you can be. Sorry Brian.

great ending to the season, never saw that coming 2 month ago.
I think that Mcdermott has been extremely fortunate that he had a team of players who had the experience and desire to pull this off with grit and determination. The defensive effort for the consecutive 4 or 5 sets was the game breaker for me.
I am sure that he is a good motivator but again i think he has been fortunate to have the players to go and win the big games.
Next season will be a big challenge losing Ali who we know is past his best, but definately buderus because he has been instrumental in the turnaround of fortunes this season, and although there are some good young kids coming through he will be big boots to fill in a key position.
we finished fifth and fortunately we had the players to win some knock out games.
If the playoffs did not exist would we all be feeling he had done a great job finishing 5th ?

If the play offs did not exist maybe some teams, Leeds/Saints perhaps, would approach the season differently... The play offs do exist and Leeds proved again that they are the best team at winning using this system.

Very good

I was one of the doubters, never got to booing it's not my thing plenty of verbal though. i have watched a lot of dross over the years and some of the games this year have been in that class. Yes I understood we had a new coach different ideas and time was needed but I pay my money and want to see the team go ok. don't have to win every game but i want to see skill and a team game. That wasn't happening early on so i had my doubts,still not 100% but hey ho what do I no great win long may it continue.

On the Wire board someone posted a link to this
[urlhttp://viewtopic.php?f=17&t=500492[/url

Some cracking signature material from some of our very own!

and how different do you reckon they would approach the season ? do you reckon they both thought lets lose a few on purpose and give the other clubs a false sense of security and then when the plays off come round we will crank it up a gear.......

Glad i wasn't one of them!

You understand that the players are trained to physically peak in October? Whereas if the league leaders won the title the clubs would all completely change their targets for the season, the nature and timing of their training regimens and pre season preparations? A massive difference and I would suggest, for example, it is by no means certain that Warrington would have finished top in those circumstances. Would Leeds have? Probably not. But then let's just be thankful that our sport crowns teams as champions only when they fully display the qualities of champions.

Some of the criticism may well have been justified and Kevin has not hid from accepting that the players early form was bad and people had a right to say so. But what has annoyed him (and me) is the amount of ill judged comments from the Media (incl Sky) that totally wrote off the players and coach. Unfortunately some supporters also went OTT with their comments when things were not going our way. I hope next time they wait until the fat lady has finished singing!