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.

I'm not sure anyone here hates McDermott. Bit of a stupid expression.

Cas have the 2nd best defensive record in SL and defense is a very important part of their game. Their attack would not be half as good without Gale and ours would be so much better if he were playing for us. So I would say it has less to do with the former position of the coaches than the class of the playmaker on the field

Top post and spot on

Cas have a very structured attack which they have shown to work - Gale is part of that structure. Having Gale at Leeds as part of a completely unstructured attack I am unsure as to how he would add value.

Gale, Eden, Shenton, Webster were all surplus to requirements. It is the quality of the coaching that has made it such a potent attack.

How was Gale surplus to requirements?

How dare you question the all knowing tigertot.

Top post................

Gale was only surplus to requirements at Leeds because he was 5 years behind Mcguire and a couple more behind Sinfield who were both established top class winners when he would have come through. He went down to Doncaster then was brought back up to SL at london by...Brian Mcdermott.

Shenton has always been rated and played for England 9 years ago. He probably didnt kick on like you would have hoped at Saints but he was hardly terrible and has been good under a few coaches.

Eden and Webster? meh. Your probably right there. They are mediocre players playing in a good side with a gameplan that has made them look their best.

Funny how facts never get in the way of a good story...

Gale- was Bradford's best player when signed for Cas, yes Bradford had been relegated but he'd been playing regular SL
Eden - was only surplus to requirements at Brisbane Broncos. Before they took a punt on him (and it really was no more than that from their perspective) he was a promising SL player.
Shenton - was a current England international when he returned to Cas (also wasn't it more about him wanting to head home rather than saints being desperate to get shut)
Webster - was signed from HKR where he was one of their best paid players

Powell has done a great job in making the whole greater than the parts, but why the need to exagerate...Cas have done well in assembling a balanced squad on a relatively tight budget (presumably, I have no idea if they spend the full cap). But none of those players were on the scrap heap before Cas picked em up