Life is going to be very tough for him after this. Can't see how he'll be able to look his teammates in the eye again let alone pull the shirt on again. Him not playing hurt Cas massively, in so many ways. We may well have won anyway, but him not being there was a loss of a huge attacking threat.

Took great pleasure in watching Leeds win.

Leeds get Hardaker on the cheap, go on to win 3 GFs, 2 CCs and a WCC, he goes on to win MOS, then Leeds get 150k for him, and then he goes and has a meltdown a week before the GF to all but gift the title to Leeds. GH and McDermott couldn't have planned it better

Amazing in so many ways. Two club legends bowing out on a high.

Winning a final without Sinfield. McGuire controlled the game like Sinfield tonight.

Burrow, McGuire and jjb now have eight rings. They have officially run out of fingers.

Great to see Stevie ward come through are his injury, and as mentioned in the interview having some dark days this week.

Great to see briscoe who's has a tough year end on such a high.

Great for McDermott who has emphatically put to bed the fact that it was Sinfield and peacock who ran the team. Such a thoughtful man. Always deflects praise to the players. The first man to win 4 grand finals. We fans may not understand his methods, but it's hard to argue with the results. I've thought this for a while, but maybe the reason people don't get his way of doing things, is because he sees the game in a way no one on here could even dream about.

Great post, especially the last paragraph.

I seem to recall him once making a comment about sometimes playing beyond the limit and not making replacements when he was able to was all about toughening the players so that, should the time come in a really big game when replacements weren't necessarily available they would be hardened and able to cope with it. Which, whilst infuriating to many, actually makes quite a bit of sense. And his record suggests that perhaps he knows what he's talking about.. For the record, I thought his use of subs tonight was nigh on perfect

The non use of subs is a strange one, and what you say above is the only way I have been able to rationalize it these last few years.

An incredible achievement. About a year ago I watched McGuire limp off away at London, he had gone the whole season without a try and looked shot. To produce the end of season he has is the mark of a great competitor as well as great talent. That pick up for the try was pure class.
After cas away and even wakey away in august I would have not believed this end. McD's ability to mange a season's end is exceptional.
Tough conditions but cas dropped too much ball and the hardaker factor must have taken a toll.
Leeds forwards stood up again. They should all take a bow. Briiscoe and stevie ward magic night for them.
I can't speyk.

I think it's worth noting that he rarely if ever employs the same subs strategy in play off games. I would go as far as saying the McDermott more than any other coach uses weekly league games as preparation for more important games to come, with the two points being sometimes less important than the lessons learned. Yes, in this structure wins are important to secure a good league position and make the top 4, but ask Cas fans tonight how much the 8 points they took off us in the league matter right now? McDermott is a master of getting his team ready for when it matters the most. In the cup semi they were caught out by a Hull team playing close to their best, and the players and coach were devastated. Tonight they made sure they didn't make the same mistakes twice. McDermott's methods may not be universally popular, but 4 Grand Final wins against 4 different teams says it all.

+1