“We can beat Leigh” – Brian McDermott continues belief despite Summer Bash thumping
Photo: Allan McKenzie/SWpix
Featherstone boss Brian McDermott still believes his side can beat Leigh despite their 46-16 defeat at the Championship’s Summer Bash.
The Centurions ran in nine tries against their promotion-chasing rivals during the opening day of the Summer Bash. It’s the third time Adrian Lam’s side have beaten Rovers this season, including the 1895 Cup victory at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
It is now 3-1 to Leigh, with Featherstone having picked up their only win over the Centurions earlier in Round 2 of the Championship campaign.
Head coach McDermott analysed his side’s performance with Ross Fiddes live on Premier Sports following the defeat, picking out the areas in which his side went wrong.
Talking points: Leigh extend lead at top of Championship with dominant victory over rivals
Brian McDermott on Leigh defeat
“We completed at 36% in the second half and not very high in the first half,” McDermott explained on Premier Sports.
“I think for the game it was around about 50 per cent.
“We can beat Leigh. And we probably need to lose three times to work out what it is we need to do.
“They’ve got a very good team and they play well and are playing well. They’re incredibly strong and at some stage in that game they did us physically.
“At some stage we’ve got to have a bit more belief than we have strength. That’s my bit, that we lacked belief. It wasn’t that they’re too strong for us. If you go into it and you don’t believe and you don’t trust yourself defensively and you don’t trust each other defensively, then you’re clearly going to get done physically.
“Our challenge is to give it a dig and complete somewhere around the 70 or 80 per cent, and then if we’re still getting beat by 40, then I’m worried.
🔵 @FevRoversRLFC head coach Brian McDermott on his team needing greater belief after their #SummerBash loss to Leigh Centurions
"We can beat Leigh." 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/X9vTZD0x9U
— Premier Sports (@PremierSportsTV) July 30, 2022
“I’m disappointed. But if you’re going to complete at 50 per cent, that happens, whether it’s Leigh or anyone.
“Credit to Leigh. They got some smart plays early in the game which got the scoreboard ticking their way. It’s about time that we need to have some of that belief.
“Our kicking game was awful and our completion rate was awful. Our defence, especially on the left hand side in that second half, we just lost composure and we lost defensive discipline.
“That’s what you do when you get put on the back foot.”
Leigh are now five points clear at the top of the Championship table with 40.
