Thing is for me, McDermott is great when trying to extract performances from seasoned professionals, sure we turned in a few duff performances even with JP, Sinny and co but you always knew that we would claw our way back to form. Its the kind of dressing room he was a part of and responsible for building at the dominant Bulls side, with a defined pecking order and discipline, one that had a huge career defining impact on those players and I reckon his entire outlook on coaching / team matters, I mean why wouldn't it? the Bulls were a massively dominant force back then, the systems worked, they still work now up to a point.
The problem is now, we are very similar that dominant Bulls side, we still have a core of players who have been there, done that and got the trophies to prove it but are growing old at the same time and performances are on the wane, yes we can pull a performance out of the bag for the odd game (Wigan at home?) but the consistency of Leeds over the past 2 years while the senior players have been retiring is embarrassing. We can no longer play the straight up the middle, dominant up front game, nor do we have the attacking speed / nous to play the counter attack game either, we seem to be where a lot of teams are at the moment at a crossroads of bang average.
Something needs to change, the team is bereft of a leader (not McDermotts fault btw) its also dull as dishwater to watch on attack, same dumbass routines and options every other play, its so predicable and this is down to the coaching, coaching that once was able to utilise the departed players to be more than the sum of its parts but now we are left with getting tackled / caught in possesion 10 / 15 / 20 yards out from the try line as a good option or relying completely on a piece of individual magic from Moon or McGuire. We have some of the best backs going and we don't give them any early ball its banal. I wont even go into the non use / use of the subs bench.
Bottom line is we need to adapt and we definitely need to change direction as I feel we are heading one way - down. We need a breath of fresh air to reinvigorate the team and its ethos, I'm not calling for the complete dismantling of the team but minor surgery now will prevent major surgery later. I don't lay all the blame at McDermotts door either, the recruitments he's been supplied are average at best (bar Parcell) or cheap "project" signings on a hiding to nothing.
Feel free to pull me apart.
