I have read countless threads and topics about McDermott over the years, and have refrained from chipping in a) because I probably couldn't add much if anything more than others already have done, and b) because I have better things to do with my life than get into pointless arguments with blinkered haters. However, to follow on from what a couple of posters have said on here, there are no opinions which are anywhere near as valid as those of the people who've worked with him, and it's far from being a secret that the likes of Sinfield and Peacock rate McDermott very highly - this alone should be enough for anyone!

However, I can also draw upon the opinions of a close friend of mine who was on the fringe of the first team under McDermott a few years ago (very nearly got his shot during a bit of an injury crisis amongst the outside backs...). Having worked under both McLennan and McDermott he said the difference was very stark - McLennan was a really nice bloke, but didn't seem to have much of a Plan B, and wasn't overly rated by a substantial percentage of the squad. McDermott on the other hand was a complete breath of fresh air, with excellent man management skills and a very clear idea of what direction the team needed to move in. He cared about every one of the players and was as passionate about success and how to achieve it as anyone he'd ever worked with. To his knowledge, every one of the playing staff rated McDermott highly, and the way he saw it, the only kind of person who wouldn't like him would be someone who wasn't prepared to knuckle down and give everything for the team. McDermott had pretty much every single aspect carefully planned out - everyone had a role, and they knew exactly what was expected of them, right down to the much maligned Ian Kirke... sadly things didn't work out for my mate as a nasty injury curtailed his progress and eventually led to him retiring from the professional game. But despite it not working out for him at Leeds, he only ever has incredibly positive things to say about McDermott.

There will always be haters, and they will always hate. A Lot. For some reason there have been people who have never rated McDermott and have been desperate to see him fail pretty much from the start. God knows why! the success he has brought and the respect he has earned is pretty much unparalleled! At the end of the day, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but to me the level of hatred and vitriol hurled at McDermott (especially the pathetic "McDumbnut" brigade) goes far, far above anything that I would deem acceptable, and highlights just how far this country has gone downhill now that we're living in the Social Media age. I like Brian McDermott, and I respect him immensely. He always speaks with pride and honesty, and whether people like what he says or not, one can never accuse him of not caring. Very briefly I started to question thing ever so slightly after the debacle at Cas at the start of the season. As he always has, McDermott has since answered all my questions and proved me wrong for starting to doubt. Whatever happens on Saturday, this season has cemented his legacy as one of the best we've ever had.

It's not semantics, your point still stands - as crap.

Eden - journeyman - Hudds, HKR, Salford (Gateshead?), Broncos
Shenton - released a year early by Saints
Gale - ditched by Leeds, playing Championship for Bradford
Webster - injury prone & virtually finished

You could add McShane & Cook to the list of those surplus to requirements at any decent SL club as well as a number of the unknowns who Powell has made into top players.

Wait... What?

Apart from I said how good DP had done and how much better Cas are than the sum of their parts. Partly it's down to how tightly structured their game is, they're able to swap players in and out but still have them know their role. Hence I don't see Zak as that much of a loss to them (at least in attack, they'll miss him in defence especially if we manage to get our kicking game going).

My point was, and remains, that those 4 players are a rubbish example.

Fact is shenton was an England international, Gale had been outstanding in a poor Bradford side. Eden's only 26 now, hardly a journeyman...he chamced his arm aged 23 at one of the biggest teams in the NRL. Webster I'll concede looked to be on his way out a couple of seasons ago,tho he has always been a solid player.

Meh. You don't know how close I was to including Zak in the list of players Powell had rescued from oblivion...

Temporarily.