Hi Wes,

I think you may have completely misunderstood the point I was trying to make earlier, namely that, for a Coach continually to criticise his players in public and yet seldom have the good grace to acknowledge that he may have some role in the outcome on the field, is hardly ideal.

Also, I really wonder if you think Brian McDermott is currently brilliant at interfacing with fans?

I don't doubt he could be, if he wished, but I'm not seeing any signs of engagement with fans at the moment.

This might be fine if we had 20,000 or more fans filling the stadium weekly, but currently we don't.

So why wouldn’t Brian seek to engage more with the fans, given that this has approach has demonstrably made a difference at other clubs?

If I were a Coach, and wanted to help grow the fan base (aka customer base), I'd at least devote a wee bit of time to listening to and interacting with fans.

This is just my opinion, and maybe it's OK for Brian McDermott to upset lots of people – certainly the fans, if not the players too.

Or am I just being too critical?

If he's a miserable old sod then you're not being too critical. Maybe there is a need for the fans to be made to feel closer to a coach. Maybe he should be more mindful with supporters. But that's down to the personality of the coach. If he doesn't want to, why should he? Compare a coach like Ricky Stuart to a Jason Taylor with regards to their approachability.

It really is not in the coach's brief to help grow a fan base. If that happens as a result of his results, then great, but it's not his brief.

Now I've been in a coach's box for the last five years and have seen how a game runs form that side of the fence. It changed my perspective on the game entirely. There have been so many times I've seen teams not doing what they've been told to do on the pitch. Even after message after message being sent out. As they say there's nothing you can do once they've crossed the white line.

I have to say that I feel sorry for them a lot of the time. Ultimately if a team doesn't perform, it's not the players that'll get the boot mid-season. It'll be the coach.



Why wasn't this thread posting a few weeks ago? Why now we've lost a couple. Didn't you feel like this when we were winning?

There are 2 things to bear in mind here:
firstly, Brian has the complete confidence of the players which is vital, and secondly he pays no regard for the niceties of PR and calls a situation as he sees it. I have learnt the hard way over the years not to approach Brian after a game, and definitely not to ask him for an interview - even after a win!

Most of the team on saturday were out there playing busted, and now we face losing Chad Randall to a medial ligament injury, and Tony Clubb to a hand injury. Until we get fit bodies back, we will continue to struggle.

He does, he turned up at the forum meeting and was happy to answer any questions asked of him and he was quite happy to interact with fans. There has to be a cut off point, he is there to coach. Have you tried chatting to him after a game, I haven't, because I don't feel the need to but I am sure if you were to engage in conversation he would stand and chat, what more should we expect.

I think the fella is doing a good job with the tools he has available to him

Sometimes you have to say it how it is
We gave away 3 really soft tries on sat, we dropped too much ball, and we were poor in defence, especialy coming off the defensive line when the ball is played, look at the speed hudds were coming up.
The bloke runing the team can only do so much and apart from deciding when to make the interchanges can have little control what the blokes do on the field.
So sometimes, honesty rather than making excuses for em is the best approach.

As for interacting with fans
what do you want a phone call to each fan to explain his decisions?
or do you want him to pop round yr house
He turns up at fans forums and answers questions there! how many other coaches do this? how many other sports do this?

Its the players that lost us the game sat, not Brian

I think the worst time to talk to a coach is immediately after a game. They are so hyped up that they are likely to say things that they will regret later.

Anyway he has been praisd in the past for his straight talking. You cant have it both ways.

Brian like the team is doing it tough, the current crop of injuries has come at the time when the play-off rush begins, unfortunate, if it had come at the start of the season we could be passed it now. He can't, with the limited squad, do miracles given the club's current resources. He does not have to 'interact' with fans but anyone who goes away will know he always acknowledges the fans and is always praising our away support. Get off his back. If injuries conspire to sink our play-offs this year it is because of the paucity of resources, look at what Wigan and Warrington can call on. The fact that resources ultimately rely on what comes through the gate, and hence our current crisis. It is not Brian's primary concern to get fans through the gates but if we are to compete that is what we all need to do.

Get behind the team, they may lack spark at the moment but I feared the Giants would walk all over us on Saturday, as in the past two games and the fact that they didn't speaks volumes. We could have sneaked something, but get over it and get behind the team coz they sure need it.

A month ago Brian was a god, but how we miss Purdo and [uDORN![/u, (where are his critics now?) -

ps I know where you are Mr Lister!

I'm with you Pop Pan. The team are doing it tough at the moment and if rumours in the bar on Saturday are right, we will continue to struggle for quite a while yet.

Re Brian Mac, I've spoken to him many times after games and I've always found him to be very friendly (although I don't usually speak to him after losses!).

On the point about coaches interaction with fans, I would bet we have more access to our players and coaches than any other club ( both on matchday and with the fans forums.)

Think Brian Mc has just had another one of his 'after the Catalan defeat in Cardiff last year' moments again. Wasn't at the game on Saturday but it must be incredibly frustrating to see the team go from being solid to making mistake after mistake and losing again! Thing that worries me is if at the end of the season we miss the play offs could one of the bigger clubs up North lure him away! How long does he want to carry on here if another season is going to trail away to nothing again? I know we have Purdo and Dorn out but we have a number of senior players out there yet no-one seems to be taking charge! Next game in France is going to be critical as to us making the playoffs or not - on current form it doesn't look like it but a win over Catalans, a decent performance against Saints and wins over the Bulls and it could all be back on again!

We are punching well above our weight IMO........5th place was always going to be tough to maintain and I think other coaches have figured out how to beat us.......by simply doing the basics.....ie, completing sets and defending well.
We are also missing 2 of our 3 game breakers and any team would struggle if that happened. Take Sinfield and Burrows from Leeds and they would struggle......same goes for any team.
Keep the faith!

McDermott has never been a God. He has taken our team precisely nowhere so far bar occasional freak results and you can't argue with that. It did indeed look like we might be getting somewhere but as GF alludes to, we were indeed punching well above our wait.

We are missing Purdham yes but missing Dorn is not a huge concern - fine, he scores occasionally but he doesnt change the way we play or offer any organisational attacking advantages, something we are desperate for. We wander around the park and nobody can take control of anything. As I have posted before, I would love to see the club bring in an EXPERIENCED stand off next season, not a 1 trick pony.

Look at the stats, Mr Lister, Dorn is still 10th in try assists in SL this season even though he has been out for 3 weeks. Orr is top!

I knew you wouldn't let it lie, ho ho ho.

Hurrah. We have been through this whole stats lying before. I'm probably biting here but i'm not bothered, if you (not you personally, but in general) think Dorn is a key man in our side then you are deluded IMO, I lost count of the number of poor games he had at the start of the season. I for one am not missing his abysmal kicking game, hiding out on the wings and his greedy play and cluelessness with ball in hand. The only moment I recall him doing something of value was at Salford away - well done Luke, you got one over on the side second bottom of the ladder.

Do you realise why Orr is top?

You clearly did not see him at Cas or Crusaders away. That's 3 games he has been a major player in plus 10 try assists, yes, he is a major player in our side and he is being sorely missed.

But I think we will have to agree to differ, great work on the flag by the way!

Two more quality sides he's played well against then

That was Cas' worst performance of the season and Celtic are just terrible.

I saw him at Cas. He got the interception and then did very little for the rest of the game as it was clearly a slog in the forwards.

He never said that once mate. Just suggested the clear truth...coaches at this level do know far more than your average fan and as such I'd guess have more idea how the game is run and how to get the best from players.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion...and I agree....coaches shouldn't slate their players publicly...but ultimately, it's the player that takes the field and plays...they should be able to do the simple things like tackle, pass and actually see the space at SL level. All the coach can do is give instructions!

Very simplistic way of looking at things. A coach is responsible for much more than giving simple instructions. If only it was that easy.

You make a good point.

Maybe, immediately after a losing game is not the best time to talk to any coach.

However, it's not good to hear our coach berating the players, while at the same time saying, "I do not know what the answer is," even if he was interviewed immediately after a losing game.

I can't recall the last time I heard a British Army commander berating his troops in public and also saying he didn't know what to do. It's not good for morale, and seems unprofessional.

McDermott has never been as good as some people have said he is. He is quite good with some of the lesser-known players but he consistently fails, IMO to get the best out of the club's leading players, with the exception of Randall this season.

The team is doing its usual routine of starting really well and then losing interest at the business end. We can't blame some woeful displays at Wigan, Wakefield and now at home to Huddersfield on simply missing Purdham. Thats just rubbish.

Just getting the post back on subject, I can only speak as I have found.
Yes, Brian can be a prickly character to talk to, but if you take the time to go up & speak with him, he will always give you a couple of minutes of his time.
It's hard for a person to change their attitude & I think he doesn't hold the press in very high regard, so will only give a short resume' of the game.
As others have stated, he will always interact with the fans at away games & at the Club Forums.
Also, regarding Luke Dorn, what seems to have been missed in other's comments is the fact that he attracts 2 or 3 of the opposition players to stop him from making any darting runs, thus opening holes in their defence for others to exploit.
I agree that he has not been as electric as I would have hoped, but for the reason I have stated above you can see why he is missed.

Yet he clearly understands far more than a supporter would...that can't be argued with...sorry.

OK.

He's a good coach and I want him to stay, existing players want to play for him and he helps us attract new players too. It doesnt get away from the fact that the way he speaks to the media sometimes after games is completely unprofessional and must undermine team and supporter morale. Its also bad PR for the club. I respect him, but the coaches I respect more than him in the game would never do it.

Who was it who said that when you start listening to fans it won't be long until you are sitting with them?

Wayne Bennet