I wanted to start this thread to address what I feel is truly shameful treatment of Brian McDermott by some of the Rhinos fans. Looking at the Rhinos facebook page, the comments that have been made are not only highly narrow-minded, but also very personal, and in the same way that these people have spoken out to vent their frustration at recent results, I now need to vent mine. Brian McDermott has been in the job for just over 18 months now, and I really believe that he’s been a convenient scapegoat for the issues that we’ve had, with anything positive that he’s done being conveniently forgotten.

The transition
Mac joined us after a disappointing 2010 season under Brian McClennan – we finished fourth, losing 9 games, and lost both the World Club Challenge and the Challenge Cup final (a game which frankly seemed like we never even got off the bus).

We started the 2011 season without Jamie Peacock and Danny McGuire, who only returned to the squad at the end of April (nearly half way through the season), and yet during this first season under Mac, we only lost 2 more games than 2010, and we reached both the Challenge Cup and Grand Finals. While the first 15 minutes of the Challenge Cup Final were undoubtedly disappointing, we were the better team for 65 minutes of the game and if we’d been on the right end of a couple of poor decisions from Robert Hicks (as touch judge) and Phil Bentham, the end result could have been somewhat different.

Individual Players
While I appreciate that our results at the start of this year and last have not been what we might have hoped, I now want to point out the many positives that Mac has achieved over the last 18 months, starting with his achievements with individual playersPast coaches
We have been privileged in the last 10/11 years to reach 10 finals (not including the World Club Challenges), with several of the players featuring in all or most of these seasons. We experienced disappointment under Daryl Powell (DP), some success under Tony Smith (TS) (2005 being a heart-breaker, and 2006 under-performing), and a poor final season in 2010 under Brian McClennan (BMcC). Out of interest, I wanted to see our league positions and numbers of losses in these yearsAddressing fans comments
I totally understand everyone’s frustration at our performances this year, but like I say above, it disappoints me that some of you are aiming this frustration at Brian McDermott; offering little justification for doing so and often being really personal with your comments. Here are some of the comments I’ve come across:

Kevin Sinfield does the half-time team talks – how do you know this happens on a consistent basis? Because you’ve seen a 20 second clip on Sky? This is a ridiculous comment to make – we can’t possibly know what goes on at half-time so to use this as criticism of Mac is really strange.

The players just do as they’re told, if they’re crap it’s down to the manager – think about why the players are under-achieving at the moment. This is nothing to do with the “plays” themselves, it’s because in every single game we’ve lost this year, we’ve missed tackles, knocked on, had a poor kicking game, and given away silly penalties. Anyone who really believes the players are being told to do this, frankly needs their head testing.

The team were solely responsible for the back-end of last season – if this is true, why aren’t we performing now? Again, we are losing games because of the lack of basic rugby skills, not because the “plays” aren’t any good.

Brian McDermott has no passion – how do you know this? Do any of you know him, know him well? For me, his passion for our Club and our players came across in the motivational video that helped us get to the Grand Final.

I’m not going to go through some of the more personal comments I’ve seen and heard the fans make, but I just hope that none of you get abused at work like you’ve been abusing Mac. The fans, yes, are important to the Club and we have been rewarded for our loyalty with a number of finals in the last ten years and some fantastic performances in the regular season. We have the right to be frustrated, but we do not have the right to gang up like pack animals and be as abusive as what I’ve seen and heard.

I have always been proud to be a Rhino because we’ve stuck together through thick and thin, so when I see some of you treating one of our own this way, it just doesn’t sit right with me. Mac has not only got the backing of the Club, but the backing of the players – over the last year, a number of players have signed contract extensions, and this surely isn’t in spite of Mac, but in part, with him. If the players and the Club back him, so do I, and I back the players to start playing better this year and once again, give us something to be proud of.

Very passionate. Very nice. Much too in depth and clever for half the people on this forum.

Whilst i completely agree any personal abuse is unwarranted should the team and management be exempt any criticism for p!$$ poor performances???
If you read most commenst on here 995 of us just want the team to compete the winning is a bonus but we never looked like competeing with ST's ,Pies or Wire until the game was gone!!
Now good for you supporting through thick and thin surprisingly most of us still attend and have the same philosphy but we also have the RIGHT to be critical when the same mistakes and the poor standards are getting repeated.
Do you think Sinfield is secure defending out wide?
Do you think the coach shouldn't be questioned for not using ALL his subs or giving 1 or 2 5 minute spells when it's CLEAR our forwards are knackered?
How about our top of the league u20's don't some of them deserve a chance when the team is doing so poorly?
Now it was great to get to Wembley and win the GF and kudos to the club for that but again that team eventually showed it was capable of much better than the dross they produced at times last year and the same applys to this.
As for individual players everyone has their own views and again as a fans forum shock horror that's what we share and debate whether good ,bad or just "nantwiche"!!!
If you thunk they don't deserve criticism ,or performances debated from ALL concerned then i wouldn't stick around on here you'll be very dissapointed.

Thanks Brian, but it's not personal. I actually think you're a top bloke and would be happy to see you at a junior/assistant coaching level at the club. You know the game and you're the kind of guy who is an assett to the organisation.

I think Brian should pick me in the Centres. I'm almost back to full fitness and I can out run Sam Tomkins and run through Jeff Lima!

You obviously think he's an idiot then. That's not very nice

Well said Rhinoms.... I would vote for you as Southstander spokes person. Always optimistic and a damn good supporter, but not afraid to give constructive criticism when due.

Blind faith is no good for anybody Brian.

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the replies.

Rhinoms - I totally agree with you, some of the performances are seriously poor and so I do think we have the right to be critical TO A POINT. If you take the most recent games we've played against Saints, Wigan and Warrington I'm not sure you're being entirely fair there - we had a really good first half against Saints at home, and at Warrington, while the first 30 minutes was really disappointing, I thought we defended really well in the last 50, doing some really good things and showing a bit more what we can do. Wigan was a thoroughly miserable performance but I thought the first 10 minutes really took it out of us and it was our lack of composure which ultimately left the remaining 70 looking desperate.

Regarding your comments on Kevin Sinfield, I've watched the game back on Sky over the last couple of days and the guy is absolutely everywhere; to be honest, with what I understand of his mentality, I think he's maybe trying too hard to make up for other people's mistakes, and the fact is, that's going to catch up with him. He shouldn't be defending out wide but we don't know if that's Mac, Sinny, or other players moving out of position. If I'm being honest, I'm hoping like hell he doesn't get picked for the Exiles game so he can have a bit of a rest!

Mac offered us a fair explanation of why he didn't use Lunt off the bench against Saints and while I must admit, I would use all of my subs, I thought his explanation was fair. In terms of the forwards looking tired, I would just point out that sometimes it does take a player a few minutes to really get into "game mode"; each player is different, and this is something else Mac has to take into consideration.

I also agree with you that some of the under 20s maybe do deserve a go while we're not playing well, but this isn't a simple thing to decide either. As you'll know, Superleague is so much more intense and physical than playing in the 20s, even when we're playing a side such as Wakefield next week, and some of the 20s guys won't yet be mature enough to cope with that. I strongly believe that to give these guys the best chance, unless we have an injury problem, we have to time their debut and subsequent games right so that we can keep their confidence up and not have them simply get battered! I also have to think about some of the first-team guys who are confidence players - they might not be playing well now, but come the play-offs, we might need their experience and skill; if they get dropped for an under-20s player and their confidence becomes shot, we may just be shooting ourselves in the foot.

Again, I'm certainly not suggesting that no-one deserves criticism and I don't think I suggest that at any point in my original post. I just think that any criticism is mis-directed and I really disagree with those who boo, heckle and name call our coach.

Do you think a coach should see webbs indiscipline and sort it?
Or hardakers unsuitability on the left?
Or the lack of aggression in the pack?
Or the fact we miss a controlling hooker?

Every week its the same old problems with nothing solved. Dont you think a quality coach would have sorted this by now?

Yes

In other news, the side coached by the much vaunted Nathan Brown recently lost to the likes of Widnes and HKR as the Giants suffer their annual mid-season slump. Don't you think a quality coach would have sorted that out by now?

Some people expect too much of the coach. The difference with last year is that Mac has shown he can deliver, and for me, this means that he deserves a bit more respect from the fans. I'm not saying he'll give us a repeat of last autumn and that there aren't problems that need to be addressed urgently. We are way behind the top clubs at present. But the situation isn't as dire as many on here would have you believe - a few wins against the usual SL cannon fodder will see both league position and confidence restored in the coming weeks IMO. Who knows what will happen if the players can regain some confidence and hit form again?

Hi Tad Rhino,

I have no problem with Brent Webb playing for us week in week out - I think it's the right thing for him to leave at the end of the year, but the guys been a legend for us over the years and still creates some really good tries (14 assists this year in 14 appearances). His defence is not what it used to be, but surely the indiscipline you refer to gives us a bit of the aggression you think we lack in the pack? For me, the tries he makes and his ability to direct the backs is what keeps him in the team; he and JP have conceded the same number of penalties this year, but I don't think anyone's going to suggest sorting out JP!

As I say in my first post, Zak Hardaker played really well for us at the back end of last year and was rightly given the number 4 shirt. Can you tell me exactly what it is you think needs sorting and how you would go about it? With the injuries we've had, we can't drop him for an instant fix, and in my experience there's no magic solution to learning technique at this level - it comes with practise over time.

In terms of aggression in the pack, Jamie Peacock and Kylie Leuluai rarely back down, and Richard Moore and Darrell Griffin were brought in in the off season to add some aggression. Moore is living up to this and I think Griffin will get there in time (we all saw his legal challenge on Harrison in the last minute of Friday's game). Bailey has been playing well, so what more exactly would you like to see?

Finally, how do you replace a player like Danny Buderus?! We were always going to experience a transition after he left, do you not think Burrow does a good job?

Again, I think I've addressed your point about the same problems in my original post, and still think Mac is a quality coach.

What confidence do the reigning SL and World Club Champions acquire from beating Wakefield that they couldn't get from beating Manly?