FORUMS > Leeds Rhinos > For the Love of God, Allah, Buddah or Whatever McDemott STAY |
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| I'll admit to not having been a McDermott fan, and not because he used to play for Bradford. When he came, I thought he was a good choice and it was a flip up between him and Powell. But I did think he'd play exciting rugby. We never seemed to get that, but the events of the last few weeks have seen me warm to him. The loses to Bradford and London weren't his fault. He picked teams capable of winning but the players didn't do it. Yeah, some blame laid with him. But he used the squad, like many of us have called for, against the 2 weakest teams in the league.
Then, ready some of the articles in the build up to the game I understood him a bit more and understood why the players love him. He knows how special this group is and what winning the CC meant to them. As fans we like to think losing means everything to us but really its nothing. To the players and staff it means everything and he's given them the game plan to win the last 2 cup games. So well done Brian and I was one of those saving the biggest cheer for when he lifted the cup. My only beef was when they were having the team picture after and he hovered at the edge. They should have made him stand in the middle but I guess that's just him.
Also want to say thank you to Gary Hetherington. He gets stick for not spending money on big signings but he's got us to this level and helped maintain it whilst making a profit. Sure he's done a lot in the background to create our culture and players wanting to play for the club for less money.
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| Quote: tvoc "A myth it might be - Leeds lost one in '98 and have seemingly done OK since. Castleford will have learnt from the experience, doesn't mean they will ever win one (perhaps this will be the closest they ever come) but last night will still help them towards doing so.'"
TBF in those first two GF's (Wigan vs Leeds '98 @ Bradford vs Saints '99) it was guaranteed one of them would lose on their first GF appearance. Since then you've only had Hull, Warrington and Cas appear and no wins.
Problem is running into teams who have been there countless times. If Cas get there next year against Hull that'll be interesting. Cas have a GF appearance under their belts now against a Hull team who don't (yes the club were there in 2006 but that's so long ago no players are left) but have some CC's under their belts.
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fonds noir/Buzz Lightyear.gif :fonds noir/Buzz Lightyear.gif |
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| If Cas get back its highly unlikely they'll have to deal with anything as difficult as the Hardaker debacle again though. I don't think they'd have won with him, but what a thing to have to deal with.
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| The saying pre-dates the SL Era and was commonly heard after RL's then showpiece event - the Challenge Cup Final. Can't recall how accurately it tracked but losing finalists would be offered the phrase as consolation.
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实事求是!: |
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| The lose one to win one didn't apply to us in 2004, then we only had McDermott from the 98 gf, the same as cas had Shenton who played for saints in 2011. We had been in the cc final in 2003, but so had cas in 2014.
I suppose we had bai and furner with nrl grand finals. I just don't think it holds any weight, the experience of losing a grand final doesn't improve your chances of winning another one IMO.
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| As you point out the majority of Leeds' 2004 Grand Final winners, were losers in Cardiff at the 2003 Challenge Cup Final. Not the same showpiece event but both showpiece events nonetheless, at huge neutral venues with week long media focused build ups.
Invaluable experience gained to carry forward into the next big showpiece occasion, collectively and individually. I'd be surprised if the Cardiff loss didn't particularly help Leeds' band of home grown products that played in both - namely Calderwood, Walker, Sinfield, Bailey, Diskin, Burrow and Ward (McGuire, Jones-Buchanan and Mathers (Warrington?) in and around the squad also)
And the reverse, Leeds losing Grand Finalists in '98 to Wembley winners in '99
Cas' team had Webster, Shenton, Holmes and Massey survivors from Wembley 2014 - with only Lynch as a possibility on Saturday - the other 12 all moved on.
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