Exclusive: Featherstone Rovers break silence on Brian McDermott’s future following ex-Leeds Rhinos boss’ transfer speculation

Featherstone Rovers could not have begun the 2022 Championship any better, winning 13 games and drawing one to sit top of the second tier.

However, defeats to Leigh Centurions and Batley Bulldogs have seemingly put the cat amongst the pigeons as Rovers slip to second and three points behind the Centurions at the top.

Though defeat to Leigh wasn’t something to be sniffed at considering how emphatic the Centurions have been in recent weeks, a home defeat to Batley left people scratching their heads.

Of course, the Bulldogs have been a formidable Championship side for a number of years, but Featherstone have been gearing up for a shot at Super League and would have certainly targeted that fixture a number of Sundays ago as a winnable game.

That has since prompted speculation to appear that Featherstone head coach Brian McDermott is facing trouble in camp, with one tweet from a rugby league page on Twitter, stating: “Hearing strong reports that Brian McDermott may be heading out the door at Featherstone after one senior player in the dressing room announced the squads lack of passion to play under him as a head coach, and is questioning the decision of Jonathan Ford continuously being benched.”

Hearing strong reports that Brian McDermott may be heading out the door at Featherstone after one senior player in the dressing room announced the squads lack of passion to play under him as a head coach, and is questioning the decision of Jonathan Ford continuously being benched

— Rugby League ITK✍🏻 (@RugbyLeagueITK) June 27, 2022

However, after being contacted by Serious About Rugby League, a senior spokesman at the West Yorkshire club has completely dismissed any notion of that, stating: “There’s absolutely nothing in it.”

Naturally, there will be pressure on McDermott to turn it around just like he did in 2017, with the former Leeds Rhinos boss winning the Grand Final once more – a year after surviving the Middle 8s following a dismal season in 2016.

McDermott and Featherstone will also have to contend with a spirited Halifax Panthers and York City Knight who are closing the gap to Rovers in second in the Championship table.