“I know which team I’d rather be coaching at the minute”

[derbystiger]

It’s a hard quote to understand but the impression that Leeds fans were getting is that he meant he’d rather coach a side that never gives up and fights until the very end than a team that plays for 25 mins and then nearly chokes.

To be fair, all I care about is the end scoreline and I’d rather be coaching a side that scored 25 and concedes only 24.

I'm forced to agree with Hudds again! Let's take it down to basics, its an 80 min game and the aim is to have more points on the board at the end of that 80 mins than the opposition. Simples! Our lads did their job again for the 4th game in a row, so whatever McDermott said or says I couldn't care less about. We won! :dance: :dance:

[Squaddie86]

He's a average coach of a average team..

You mean the grand final winners in 2 of the last 3 years?



As for McDermotts comment... he's backing his players. What's he supposed to do? Say he hates them and wants to be our coach instead?

People are reading far too much into this.

Cas won by the skin of our teeth, 2 points is 2 points but if i were Powell I'd be peppering our back 3 with high balls all day long on Monday until they learn how to defend them.

[CasRus]

Another thing I'd like to add in respect of what needs to be addressed apart from the high ball kick weaknesses we do not seem to be able to defend, is decision making.

When we had Singleton sin binned mid second half and we had the opportunity to take 2 more points and get the ball back from kick off with 7 minutes remaining against 12 men and to instantly make the lead 17 points instead of 15, why didn't we ??? sure it still remains three try scores and conversions to overcome us, but this was increasing our chances to win from the fact that all 3 efforts for conversions would have had to go over rather than two - it was lucky their last try was in the corner and Watkins was crap at kicking having missed 2 out of 3 in total from their 3 tries which is what saved us from defeat. Decision making at strategic points within the game is what they also need to learn in my opinion.

[tigerfeat]

When powell saw cameras on him at full-time he had the omg how bad were we face on ..underneath table he would have been pumping his fist and thinking get in there you little beauty

[init]

McD might prefer Rhinos....We prefer DP.....lets all thank god we dont have McBannana.......Now thats how to take a team and turn them into a tier 3 conference squad ....... quality.

[lurcher]

There Noticeable Absentees
Garbutt
Cuthertson
Ward
Kienhorst
Petreau (though he's only made one appearance this year)
Ferres (he adds nothing to Leeds and he's a liability)

Leeds fans also add Galloway and Ormonroyd to the list....

They're just clutching at straws. Every team has injuries. Weren't complaining last week were they....

whilst I like keinhorst, handley has replaced him and got mom in leeds last 2 games so would he be in even if he was fit.

[Mysterio]

Genuinely in the past have thought handley was very nearly the worst Leeds player of all time, but he played incredibly well after looking out of his depth eselriee....resembling the entire le es team really!

Unless we made him look a world beater....

[da_jimbob_7]

I was unfortunate to be watching the game in the Leeds end and they hate ash handley, think he’s a liability and have a big issue that he doesn’t pass the ball. They couldn’t believe we made him look so good.

[fords]

I was unfortunate to be watching the game in the Leeds end and they hate ash handley, think he’s a liability and have a big issue that he doesn’t pass the ball. They couldn’t believe we made him look so good.

Our def was shocking on him tbf

[Hiddentiger]

As always have enjoyed reading posts following on from the Rhinos game - predictably they range from the astute / witty to the downright laughably blinkered. Comments on Leeds's forum just the same. Here for what it's worth is my attempt at a balanced view:

Both squads were short of around six players through a combination of injury and suspension so that sort of cancels each other out.
Most Rhinos fans I know dislike Elland Road and much prefer Headingley. I reckon it's almost like a neutral venue - not Leeds's and not Cas's.
Cas showed that they are the more dynamic, quick ball handling team.
Rhinos showed that they are the more resilient, methodical team (with the occassional touch of flair from esp. Joel Moon).
Gale's quality kicking / Watkins's average kicking was the difference on the night - other than that not a lot to choose between the teams.

Just a couple of things from other posts which made me laugh/cry/wonder

How is going the full length of the field ever going to be 'lucky'?
Why does Brian McDermott need media training - so he can trot out the usual innane platitudes and meaningless tosh most sports 'managers' seem to excel in. I think both he and Powell are good to listen to and generally honest in their assessments.
Surely an 'average' team would win about half their games and generally finish mid table - neither Leeds or Cas are therefore average.
Which four Leeds players would make it into the Cas team? If we start with full backs Golding and Walker make two already.

[cogito ergo sum]

Hall, Moon, Singleton, Walker, Watkins

[HuddsTigers]

If we are talking starting 17, I’d have Roberts at 6 and Walker at full-back.

Think Millo, JSL, Moors and Cook are better than Leeds’ front row options.

I’d probably take Hall but don’t think Watkins has shown enough consistency to displace Webster or Shenton.

I’d have Cuthbertson at loose forward and Milner off the bench.

[Hiddentiger]

Hall, Moon, Singleton, Walker, Watkins

Yeah interesting - I agree and maybe add Myler (though not on Friday's performance) and Briscoe - really solid this season after a nightmare last year.

Funnily enough I'd put about the same number of Cas players into Leeds - horses for courses and all that.

[lurcher]

having watched it back McDermott incredibly rudely decides he's had enough of the interview and with the words "I'm off, I've got a lot of people to talk to" he turns on his heel and walks away.

[Hiddentiger]

having watched it back McDermott incredibly rudely decides he's had enough of the interview and with the words "I'm off, I've got a lot of people to talk to" he turns on his heel and walks away.

Exactly - some of the media deserves all the rudeness it gets. I know what you're saying but I'd far rather have a coach who has the balls to refuse to be a slave to the media's agenda - one of the reasons why I like both McDermott and Powell.

[daytona]

having watched it back McDermott incredibly rudely decides he's had enough of the interview and with the words "I'm off, I've got a lot of people to talk to" he turns on his heel and walks away.

To be fair to McDermott he was probably bored of the inane bumbling questioning from the wooden Bill Arthur.

[Squaddie86]

having watched it back McDermott incredibly rudely decides he's had enough of the interview and with the words "I'm off, I've got a lot of people to talk to" he turns on his heel and walks away.

Pretty sure he says "you've got a lot of people to talk to" referrimg to Powell et al waiting for their interview.

Even if not, I'm sure he probably does have better things to do - talk to his team who just suffered a home defeat by a hated rival.

But to hell with it, this thread is all about bashing another teams coach for daring not to lick our mighty boots after they've beaten us in 2 consecutive finals...

Honestly some Cas fans are starting to sound like Leeds fans these days.

[cogito ergo sum]

I enjoy listening to Mac's interviews. After their Saints win he was very honest about the performance and more or less said that they had the rub. He also gives Cas a lot of credit and has done for years.
If you watch YouTube interviews, you realise how much time they spend on media commitments (quite rightly, in the age of an insatiable diet of news), and the tough direct Mac must sometimes be frustrated at some of the dumb questions he has to answer. In a highly pressurised job, having to handle a large group of hard men with wide ranging personalities and egos, I think he does well. He says it as he sees it, and he's no sufferer of fools.

[onetiger]

the man is like wane a muppet

[orrsome]

the man is like wane a muppet

Just sounds like he's trying to sound like he is much more intelligent and has far more insight into the finer points of the game than he actually has.