‘Players make me neurotic!’
BRIAN McDERMOTT admits that he can be seen as neurotic in the way he coaches.
But the multi-awardwinning former Leeds Rhinos and Toronto Wolfpack boss insists it’s the only way to get the best out of players.
McDermott, who is now in charge of Featherstone, won four Super League titles in seven years as well as two Challenge Cups and a World Club Challenge with Leeds.
It’s a record that suggests he was in total sync with his players – but McDermott insists he’s amazed how often that was NOT the case.
He said: “Coaches can be regarded as a bit neurotic at times with the things we say, because you have got to be very careful with what people are hearing.
“The amount of times – whether we’d won or lost – I’ve asked players a question in review and they’ve given me an answer that made me wonder, ‘How on earth can he think that?’.
“It is absolutely fascinating that you’ll tell players something and there’s always a group who will hear something different to that.
“That’s why, as a coach, you have to be really specific in what and how you say things.
“And that can be regarded as a bit neurotic.”
Before his recent appointment by Championship side Featherstone, McDermott set up a company advising leaders of various different business organisations.
He said: “It confirmed what I’d learned over the years in rugby league, that people don’t always hear what you’re saying.
“That’s why as a leader you need to be really succinct and clear.
“It gets taken for granted that people hear and understand what