Former Wigan Warriors and Leeds Rhinos player Barrie McDermott has called out Twitter trolls and others on social media who have aired ‘personal and vicious insults’ towards both Daryl Powell and Andy Last, both of whom have been sacked from Warrington Wolves and Castleford Tigers in the past week.
Powell’s tenure at the Halliwell Jones came to an end last Sunday after his Wire side fell to a hammering at the hands of bottom of the table Wakefield Trinity.
The club acted quickly after the match by releasing a statement confirming that Powell had been relieved of his duties, with the search for a new coach to commence immediately.
Warrington Wolves Chairman Stuart Middleton said: “We’d like to thank Daryl for his commitment and endeavours since joining the club last season but we feel the team now needs a different approach.
“Results and performances over the past 18 months have fallen short of the standard we expect and feel the club now needs to move in a new direction.
“We will now begin a thorough process to select a new Head Coach to take the club forward.
“We still firmly believe this playing group have the ability to compete at the highest level.”
As for Andy Last and he was dismissed last night after a home loss to Huddersfield Giants left the Tigers at the foot of the table with just six rounds to go.
Castleford acted even faster than Warrington, the news of Last’s dismissal coming just over an hour after the final hooter albeit with an official statemen to come after the weekend.
“Castleford Tigers can confirm that Andy Last has departed the club with immediate effect.
“The club will make a further statement after the weekend.”
Both men had led their teams on poor runs of form with Warrington going from Grand Final favourites to on the brink of dropping out of the playoffs, whilst Castleford won just four games under Last and none in their last five.
Pundit Barrie McDermott has now taken to social media to call out others who have taken the voicing of opinions too far, and instead started to attack both Powell and Last for the situation they left each club in.
Unfortunately sport is a cut throat business that evokes passionate reactions to the good, bad and everything in between obviously we go on a rollercoaster with our team and that’s how it should be. I’ve seen some horrible stuff about Powell and Last
1/2— Barrie McDermott 🏉 (@RLBarrieMc10) August 5, 2023
Which isn’t called for first and foremost these are good men who care about our game, they tried but didn’t deliver on what’s expected they have now lost their jobs that’s sport, that’s it!
What isn’t sport is some of the personal & vicious insults I’ve seen on here… BEHAVE!
— Barrie McDermott 🏉 (@RLBarrieMc10) August 5, 2023
Both clubs will continue the hunt for a replacement and utilise the two week break afforded by the Challenge Cup Final week to aid them in doing so.
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