McDERMOTT CELEBRATES NEW CONTRACT WITH A WIN OVER TABLE-TOPPERS LEEDS RHINOS
Brian McDermott, Harlequins Rugby League head coach, capped off a great week with an outstanding victory 28-24 at the Stoop in the Super League against table-toppers Leeds Rhinos. The former marine signed a new contract in midweek which ties him to the London club until 2011. His injury-hit troops showed their commitment by providing a lung-bursting effort which inflicted a first defeat in ten games for Brian McLennan’s Rhinos – the team who knocked Quins out of the Challenge Cup last month.
In a pulsating match two maiden tries from winger Will Sharp coupled with Leeds’ Kevin Sinfield’s three missed goals helped lift McDermott’s team to seventh in the table. “That was one of my most satisfying wins,” beamed the 38-year-old. “We kept them out well unlike we did in the Challenge Cup. That shows that we are learning and heading in the right direction. I can see the potential down here and that’s why I signed a new contract. I’m pleased that my name will be associated with promoting rugby league in London.”
Twenty-two-year-old Londoner Sharp, threaded in by quick passes from Hill and David Howell, recorded his Super League first try after Rhinos’ Jamie Peacock had opened the scoring on four minutes. And stand-off Hill scored himself in the seventeenth minute, having spotted a gap in the Rhinos’ under-pressure defence.
McLennan’s Rhinos thought they had levelled the game with 15 minutes of the first half remaining, but Rob Burrow’s try was disallowed because of obstruction. To compound matters, Henry Paul knocked over the resulting penalty.
Leeds did score again before the interval when last season’s Super League top scorer Scott Donald went over having caught Burrow’s miss-pass. Sinfield added the extras to make it 14-12 at the break.
Quins’ scrum-half Chad Randell wriggled over eight minutes after the restart but Leeds pulled the score back to 20-16 with 23 minutes remaining when winger Keith Senior charged over in the left corner. Sinfield missed his conversion, with the ball cruelly rebounding off the upright.
Rhinos frustrations began to show and a melee broke out with 14 minutes left on the clock. Senior was deemed to have initiated the 10-man scuffle and was sin-binned, as was Quins’ Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook. Paul punished Leeds by lacing over the resulting penalty in a perfect kicking game.
Sharp then scored his second try, dropping on Hill’s inch-perfect grubber kick. New Zealander Paul then added his sixth goal, but Rhinos hit back immediately though Burrow.
From a similar angle to his earlier miss Sinfield, loudly heckled by Quins fans, saw his effort bounce out from the other post. When Donald went over for his second try with four minutes left, loose forward Sinfield, clearly shaken by the pressure, fluffed his third kick and McDermott’s team held on for a fantastic win.
“The lads are disappointed but the best team won,” conceded McLennan. “They constantly but more pressure on us than we did them.
“I don’t think we have been going too well for the last two or three weeks. They ran harder and did all the basics better than we did. They are a physical team and they dominated us, but a bit of adversity will do us good.”
Harlequins
Tries: Sharp 2, Hill, Randall
Goals: Paul 6 (6)
Rhinos
Tries: Peacock, Donald, Senior, Burrow
Goals: Sinfield 2 (5)
Brian McDermott, Harlequins Rugby League head coach, capped off a great week with an outstanding victory 28-24 at the Stoop in the Super League against table-toppers Leeds Rhinos. The former marine signed a new contract in midweek which ties him to the London club until 2011. His injury-hit troops showed their commitment by providing a lung-bursting effort which inflicted a first defeat in ten games for Brian McLennan’s Rhinos – the team who knocked Quins out of the Challenge Cup last month.
In a pulsating match two maiden tries from winger Will Sharp coupled with Leeds’ Kevin Sinfield’s three missed goals helped lift McDermott’s team to seventh in the table. “That was one of my most satisfying wins,” beamed the 38-year-old. “We kept them out well unlike we did in the Challenge Cup. That shows that we are learning and heading in the right direction. I can see the potential down here and that’s why I signed a new contract. I’m pleased that my name will be associated with promoting rugby league in London.”
Twenty-two-year-old Londoner Sharp, threaded in by quick passes from Hill and David Howell, recorded his Super League first try after Rhinos’ Jamie Peacock had opened the scoring on four minutes. And stand-off Hill scored himself in the seventeenth minute, having spotted a gap in the Rhinos’ under-pressure defence.
McLennan’s Rhinos thought they had levelled the game with 15 minutes of the first half remaining, but Rob Burrow’s try was disallowed because of obstruction. To compound matters, Henry Paul knocked over the resulting penalty.
Leeds did score again before the interval when last season’s Super League top scorer Scott Donald went over having caught Burrow’s miss-pass. Sinfield added the extras to make it 14-12 at the break.
Quins’ scrum-half Chad Randell wriggled over eight minutes after the restart but Leeds pulled the score back to 20-16 with 23 minutes remaining when winger Keith Senior charged over in the left corner. Sinfield missed his conversion, with the ball cruelly rebounding off the upright.
Rhinos frustrations began to show and a melee broke out with 14 minutes left on the clock. Senior was deemed to have initiated the 10-man scuffle and was sin-binned, as was Quins’ Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook. Paul punished Leeds by lacing over the resulting penalty in a perfect kicking game.
Sharp then scored his second try, dropping on Hill’s inch-perfect grubber kick. New Zealander Paul then added his sixth goal, but Rhinos hit back immediately though Burrow.
From a similar angle to his earlier miss Sinfield, loudly heckled by Quins fans, saw his effort bounce out from the other post. When Donald went over for his second try with four minutes left, loose forward Sinfield, clearly shaken by the pressure, fluffed his third kick and McDermott’s team held on for a fantastic win.
“The lads are disappointed but the best team won,” conceded McLennan. “They constantly but more pressure on us than we did them.
“I don’t think we have been going too well for the last two or three weeks. They ran harder and did all the basics better than we did. They are a physical team and they dominated us, but a bit of adversity will do us good.”
Harlequins
Tries: Sharp 2, Hill, Randall
Goals: Paul 6 (6)
Rhinos
Tries: Peacock, Donald, Senior, Burrow
Goals: Sinfield 2 (5)
Labels: Brian McDermott, Harlequins Rugby League, Leeds Rhinos, Super League
