Leeds not in slump, insists Brian McDermott
Photo courtesy of Richard Long
Leeds coach Brian McDermott insists the Rhinos are ‘not in a slump’ after losing their fifth Super League game in a row.
The Rhinos lost 23-22 to the Saints in an end-to-end thriller at Emerald Headingley on Friday night.
Leeds are now seventh in the Super League table, 15 points away from table toppers St Helens.
But McDermott insists there is no crisis at the club.
He said: “We are not in a slump.
“We have got some men missing and there are one or two games where we could have done better through the course of the season. We have been nipped in a few tight games and I’m sure that will be a talking point as well, but we will be alright.
“In the build-up to this game, I said if I could name 10 regular players, nevermind 17, of a starting team week in, week out, we would go okay.
“We are not at the right side of the table and we have lost another game so I’m not trying to trivialise anything but there is no slump or anything untoward going on.”
Leeds were without Carl Ablett, Brett Delaney, Ashton Golding, Jamie Jones-Buchanan, Jimmy Keinhorst, Jordan Lilley, Richie Myler, Mikolaj Oledzki, Nathaniel Peteru, Brad Singleton, Stevie Ward and Kallum Watkins owing to injury.
But McDermott said he was pleased with how his youthful side got on against league leaders St Helens.
He added: “It is humbling to watch a group of men who probably shouldn’t have been anywhere close to Saints, given the form they are in and considering the amount of men that we have got missing.
“I thought it was going to be a really special night. It was in many ways because I will remember this game for a long time for what you can do if some things are taken away from you and what you can achieve.
“I don’t need to tell you I’m proud of my players because I’m always proud of my players. I don’t think we ever turn it in, even if we have a poor performance. We never give up.
“I have got to give Saints some credit. When we scored our final try, I actually whispered under my breath ‘we will see what Saints have got’ and they came up with the goods so credit to them.”
Next up for the Rhinos is home game against Catalans Dragons on Wednesday, 7:45pm kick-off.