McDermott hails American potential

Leeds Rhinos coach Brian McDermott believes that there is plenty of talent in the United States which could perform at a semi-professional level in the UK.

McDermott coach the USA Hawks national side to two wins over Jamaica and Canada in the autumn, confirming the nation’s place at the 2017 World Cup.

While some players still have much to learn about rugby league, according to McDermott, the talent is there to be tapped into.

“In terms of players coming over and playing League 1, for sure,” he told Love Rugby League.

“We had about four or five Australians playing for us, and one Kiwi, the rest of the squad of the 22 or 23 we had were all American-based.

“There’s a good chunk of those who could come and do a good job in League 1.

“There are some players there who are still learning the sport, and therefore have some limitations.

“But there are some players there who really have a good grasp of what rugby league’s about and can play the game.

“In terms of commitment and effort, I find it hard to separate their commitment from my players at the Rhinos’ commitment.

“They were really keen.”