It’s time we stepped up a level - McDermott

Rob Burrow.

By Peter Smith
Published on Friday 6 January 2012 08:30

Champions Leeds Rhinos’ motivation for next season will come from
within, according to coach Brian McDermott.

Rhinos’ players admitted being written-off mid-way through last year
spurred them on to Grand Final glory, after they finished a lowly fifth
in the Super League table.

This year McDermott reckons his players and staff still have things to prove
to themselves as they bid for a sixth title in nine seasons.

“We are really honest with ourselves,” said McDermott, whose side kick off
at home to Hull KR in four weeks’ time.

“We are all very, very proud of what we achieved last year and it is great
we can call ourselves champions.

“We will shout that from the rooftops, but we have still got some unfinished
business because there were some games last year when we were the
second-best team.

“That is not something we are happy with. Our aim this year is to be very good
and we want to be consistent with it.”

Rhinos won their final six games in 2011 and 11 of their last 13 in all competitions,
but McDermott stressed this year is “all change”.

He said: “We don’t expect to start from where we left off. We are going to have
to start from scratch.

“We are going to meet some different challenges this year, because we are champions.”

Rhinos’ senior squad are currently on day three of their week-long warm-weather
training camp in Cyprus.

Their England players reported in to begin pre-season training at the start of the
week and McDermott declared himself pleased with the way they have looked after
themselves during their off-season break.

“They don’t just turn up and start training,” he said. “All of them have been pretty
much keeping themselves in great nick.

“Because they are professional rugby players they like to keep themselves in good
shape anyway.

“Most of the England fellas only had two or three weeks off from training before
they got themselves back into it, so when they come to us we are only putting
some extra work on top of that. Everybody in the off-season has been really keen
to get in and start the new campaign.”

Meanwhile, one senior player is missing from Rhinos’ warm-weather camp.

Arrival Grand Final man of the match Rob Burrow, pictured, stayed in England to be with
wife Lindsey for the arrival of their first child, daughter Macy, who was born on
Wednesday morning weighing in at 6lbs.

Burrow is due to fly out to Cyprus tomorrow. The Rhinos squad are due back in
England on Wednesday.

Elsewhere, Hunslet Hawks are hoping to sign several Leeds Rhinos youngsters on
dual-contracts following talks between Eaton and the Super League champions’
youth boss Barrie McDermott.

Hawks have released Loz Wildbore – who joined them in the off-season from South
Wales Scorpions – due to work commitments.

Wildbore made his only appearance for Hawks in last Sunday’s pre-season defeat
at Featherstone Rovers.

* Rhinos’ pre-season game away to York City Knights has been brought forward
from February 5 to Sunday, January 15 (3pm).

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