Featherstone Rovers boss and ex-Leeds Rhinos coach Brian McDermott pleads guilty after being taken to court for driving offence

Featherstone Rovers head coach and ex-Leeds Rhinos boss Brian McDermott has escaped a driving ban.

McDermott, 52, of Knox Mill Close, was in York Magistrates Court yesterday after being caught driving his BMW above the 60mph speed limit on the A59 close to Bolton Abbey last year, according to The Stray Ferret.

The current Featherstone boss pleaded guilty to the charge, but asked the court to waive three points on his license as he would then incur the maximum number of points of 12 and thus a ban.

McDermott revealed how he had been living from his savings during the 18 months he found himself out of work following the demise of the Toronto Wolfpack back in March 2020.

Of course, the former England and Great Britain international returned to coaching in October 2021 when he took a job as Featherstone boss in the Championship.

McDermott said he drives over 40,000 miles a year for his head coaching role, which involves work in the community, travelling to amateur clubs and scouting players and he confessed that he was the only person available to watch other clubs’ players at Rovers.

The former Royal Marine, who led Leeds to multiple trophy-wins including the 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2017 Super League titles, the 2012 World Club Challenge, and the 2014 and 2015 Challenge Cups, said that without his car he could lose his job and thus struggle to pay child support and rent.

Magistrates were satisfied that McDermott had ‘special reasons’ for contesting the penalty points, but they issued the three penalty points, taking him to 12 overall.

That being said, the 52-year-old has been allowed to continue driving.

He was also fined £307 and asked to pay a victim’s surcharge of £34 and costs of £85 to the Crown Prosecution Service.