Barrie Mac: Leeds Rhinos need to bring back Brian McDermott

Brian McDermott is the man to fix the problems at Leeds Rhinos, according to former Rhino and current Sky Sports pundit Barrie McDermott.

The Rhinos are currently without a head coach following the departure of Richard Agar last week. Assistant coach Jamie Jones-Buchanan is currently caretaker boss.

Chief executive Gary Hetherington is due to go Down Under to speak to possible candidates in the southern hemisphere.

But Sky Sports pundit Barrie McDermott believes the Rhinos should do whatever they can to Brian McDermott and Danny McGuire back to Headingley.

McDermott is currently head coach of promotion-chasing Championship club Featherstone, whilst McGuire is Tony Smith’s assistant at Hull KR.

Speaking on Sky Sports ahead of Leeds’ round seven Super League match against St Helens, Barrie McDermott said: “Brian McDermott is the obvious solution to this problem.

“He can fix the short-term stuff that is going on but he is also a coach that has proven over his time. Seven years he was at this club, four titles he delivered.

“It was a place that was built on a strong culture, strong discipline. Players enjoyed coming to work.

“It wasn’t without its problems, it wasn’t without its issues. One of them was fundamentally the chief exec (Hetherington) and head coach (Brian McDermott) came to a point where they couldn’t go on. It isn’t a school yard, you’ve got to sort that out.

“If he is brought in, I’d be saying to Paul Caddick ‘we need to bring Brian McDermott in’ and they need to bring Danny McGuire in. He might be happy at Hull KR but he’s a Leeds Rhinos man so let’s get him back here.”

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McDermott is the most successful coach of the Super League era, winning four Grand Finals, two Challenge Cups and a World Club Challenge whilst in charge of the Rhinos between 2011-18.

Featherstone will no doubt want to keep their head coach following an impressive start at Post Office Road.

But McGuire and Jones-Buchanan assisting Brian McDermott would be Barrie McDermott’s choice.

He continued: “It is the biggest decision in Super League history for the Leeds Rhinos. But you can ponder and look at the pluses and negatives for somebody outside the environment from overseas.

“Jenna (Brooks) gave a fairly comprehensive list of people outside the bubble but they are not Leeds Rhinos people.

“I don’t think it’s a case of going back to the future but what you have got to do is embrace what’s happened. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel but what you can do is maybe bring that forward into the people you’ve got at the club now.

“Jonesy is a cultural architect. If you brought Danny McGuire, he would force and embrace change and then Brian McDermott would be the head. That would be my trio.”

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