The headline on Sky Sports' Rugby league website after our home defeat by the Huddersfield Giants on Sat 11 Jul 09 was predictable, namely

Any thoughts anyone?

Having been there after a couple of defeats this season, I can say it's not his thing really. For instance, after the Leeds game at the Stoop, he said he had gotten it wrong, and for the players not to lose faith in the system.

Very good post IMO. Some people need to sit up and realise that BMcD might not be the God they previously thought he was after all...

You would not have any idea about any of the things he was talking about. You know absolutely jack all about the game in comparison to a coach, and that's not meant as an insult. Plus you cannot see what goes on behind closed doors or how McDermott actually is with his players. All you can base your opinions on are his post-match comments, which are a completely inaccurate guide.

Yer lets just give up with the concept of a forum because the coaches know more than we do. I assume you have never commented on a potential/new signing because you should accept that the coaches know better than you do?

I would be very inclined to believe that the OP is spot on with his opinions.

Regardless of whether you like the coach or not, it makes no sense to 'advise' him since his actions will have so much more justification than anything a fan could ever put to him. Which stands to reason, considering it's his job and he has been involved in that environment for years, whereas a fan may spend a few seconds forming an opinion and has not been involved ever. Plus, as I mentioned previously, the OP has absolutely no way of ever knowing what McDermott is actually like as a coach or as a person other than through brief snippets that are often made just because there is a requirement to do so, so to try and advise him one way or the other would just be meaningless.

Obviously fans can comment on signings - everyone can have their opinion on a player or an issue, even if it is not always accurate. I'm not saying people shouldn't comment, it just winds me up when fans think they know more than coaches.

Very naive attitude tbh. So basicailly coaches can never do anything wrong. Nice.

Barring a major turn-around in form (which I'm still hoping for) this will be the third season in a row where we have run out of steam in the second half of the year.

Once is a shame, twice is unfortunate, but after three times, surely some questions need to be asked.

Indeed. Backwards from Tony Rea, who people called to be sacked. Interesting.

lets bring back tony rea thats what I say!!!

Where have I ever said that?

So you are suggesting you can have an informed opinion and advise someone who has infinitely more knowledge and experience on a subject, who spends far more time and has a far greater need to get things right on issues that you know next to nothing about? Obviously coaches make mistakes, but to suggest 'advising' them is a good idea or that a fan knows best is just absolutely ridiculous. Even if the two parties were equally qualified, it stands to reason that the coach would generally be right, as he spends his entire professional life making decisions as opposed to a couple of seconds. Obviously there can be poor coaches, but this is in comparison to other coaches. The worst coach ever to coach in Super League would still know infinitely more about the game than a fan, so what could be gained from advising them? It would be like trying to teach a top mathematician how to solve equations, it just wouldn't make any sense.

If you actually saw us on a week-by-week basis, i'd be interested to see if you agreed that McDermott was spot on in everything he does. Obviously its easy for you to spout such rubbish because your team is playing very well and only a madman would question Brown's abilitiy - we are in a very different boat.

Brian McDermott was talking, on the record, about the performance of his players on the field on Saturday, and not only criticised them but also was quoted as saying, ". . . I do not know what the answer is."

Do you really feel he currently inspires both his players and the fans?

Why can't we aspire to help Brian become at least become a tad more inspirational in public, even if you're right that he's already truly inspirational behind the scenes?

Were he to participate on this forum, at least he'd know what the fans were thinking, and vice versa.

I'm struggling to see the harm in this.