McDermott: We can finish top of the league

Brian McDermott insists his side can still finish near the top of the league despite currently lying in eighth place.

McDermott’s side hit a new low on Monday night with a 31-18 loss to St Helens, after which McDermott claimed he was “panicking” but insists the comments were simply an overstatement.

He said: “We wanted to finish top of the league, that’s not impossible just yet, but we certainly have an ambition to finish up as high of that league as we can.

“We’re lying eighth in the table now so we pretty much need to start cracking on now.”

But McDermott said he does not want his side to feel complacent about their form reappearing at the end of the season, like it did in the later stages of 2011.

He said: “I think most things and coaches would say the result is in their control, I just feel at times that we’re waiting for somebody else to do it.

“I’m lucky that I coach some talented players, but at times we’re guilty of waiting for something to happen before we take charge of it ourselves.”