McDermott praises Leeds’ strong attitude

Correspondent

Leeds coach Brian McDermott praised his side for their mental strength in defeating Salford 16-10.

The fifth round Challenge Cup tie was a close affair at the Salford City Stadium, a far cry from when the two sides last met in March, when Leeds thrashed the City Reds 56-16.

 McDermott said: “We invested a lot of energy against Catalan last week and there was a bit of a hangover from that.

“I was as impressed with our mental strength today as much as at any time since I have been at the club. The most impressive thing was we didn’t give away field position in the second half and we upped the ante.”

The weather played a part in levelling the tie, as torrential rain scuppered the Rhinos’ usual style of attacking rugby. However McDermott says he was preparing for a tight game with the Reds, who were on the hunt to avenge their loss the previous week.

He said: “The weather had a bearing and the wind was ridiculous. But Salford have not been in the form they would have liked in their last four games, and there was always going to be a reaction to their defeat at Wakefield last week.”