Brian McDermott explains why he has taken the Featherstone Rovers job

Brian McDermott was confirmed as the new Featherstone Rovers head coach this morning in a live Youtube press conference.

The former Grand Final, Challenge Cup and World Club Challenge winner with Leeds Rhinos has been out of a job since leaving his coaching consultancy role with Oldham at the end of the 2021 season.

But, now McDermott has worked his way back into coaching, with his last head role coming at the Toronto Wolfpack before their demise in 2020 – and he couldn’t be happier about the project he has ahead of him.

“Over the years Fev has grown: it’s filled out, it’s packed out and it’s one of the most progressive clubs in the game,” McDermott said.

“If you was to visit the club ten years ago, it looked different. This club has grown and I don’t think that’s a secret.”

The former Royal Marine also spoke about how well chairman Mark Campbell has done off the field.

“I think it has grown off the field and the squad it has got together has progressively got better. That has taken some expense, Mark has generated that funding for the club to be able to recruit a decent squad. In terms of where it was ten years ago to where it is now, there is genuine growth.

“For them to have this ambition of getting promoted, it is quite a big ambition and a ballsy ambition compared to what some other clubs have spent over the years.

“Just in terms of that rather than survival or top four is not the goal, it is getting promoted.

“It is the ultimate in putting your chips on a marker and saying ‘this is what you want’ and if we don’t come up with the goods we’ll be disappointed.

“All that is a package called progression. From where it was years ago to where it is now, they are two very different clubs.”