DHM wrote:
Not sure what the management is expecting of McShane? His performance in the WCC was right where you would want it to be. Last year he improved and got more consistant with repeat games, obviously they were limited last year with Buderus and new hooker Rob Burrow, but this year he should have been given a real chance - not dropped or rotated for no reason. I have no idea why we loan out or ignore two perfectly good young 9's and rent in a desperately ordinary one to play alongside the man who should be our 7 (or to just sit on the bench while the rest of the forwards run out of gas against St Helens). I suspected McDermott was struggling last year, the relief shown when the players dug deep and saved his job in the back third of the season was plain to see, but this year it's falling apart and some of the decisions being made are going to potentially cost the club for years to come.
I like the guy, but if I hear him moan once more after a match about "the state of the game in general" then I'll be forced to suggest that perhaps he'd be better of as a league administrator than a SL coach.
Perhaps he simply saw enough of McShane around training to 'take a view' and despite one or two strong showings it was clear to him that McShane wasn't up to the job he specifically wanted him to do at this time. But having given him a long term contract it's clear that BM rates him/thinks he will have what it takes - just not yet though.
I think BM probably does have some very trenchant views about the game in general and its future. Not sure he really has got the hang of 'working the media' though and can come across as overly grumpy/inarticulate/underprepared for their almost always daft questions.
