Brian McDermott: Featherstone Rovers appoint four-time Super League winner as head coach

Four-time Super League winning boss Brian McDermott has been appointed head coach of Championship promotion hopefuls Featherstone Rovers for 2022.

McDermott, 51, won multiple titles and Challenge Cups as a player with Bradford before moving into coaching.

After a stint at Harlequins, he won multiple trophies at Leeds Rhinos, and also took Toronto into the top flight before their resignation.

"There's a decent project here," McDermott said at his unveiling.

"There aren't many projects in rugby league at the moment, not many clubs with the ambition that Rovers have.

"The script that stands before us, doing something that hasn't been done before with Featherstone, is one of the main reasons I'm here."

His time at Leeds built on the success of Tony Smith and Brian McClennan, with four Super League titles in seven seasons, as well as two Challenge Cups, and World Club Challenge success against Manly.

McDermott's arrival has only been brought on by James Webster's decision to step down as head coach for personal reasons, after Rovers lost their Million Pound Game to Toulouse Olympique.

He joins a Fev side that were 80 minutes away from the top flight in each of the last two full seasons, first losing in 2019 to McDermott's Toronto side and then in France earlier this month.

They also won the 1895 Cup at Wembley in July, beating York City Knights to lift their first trophy at the national stadium since 1983.

"There are things that have happened over the years with Featherstone and the club has grown, it's filled out and packed out, and it's one of the most progressive clubs in the game," McDermott added.

"It has that single objective of getting to Super League and that's what Mark brought me here for."

Since leaving Toronto in 2020, McDermott's only involvement in professional rugby league was in an advisory capacity at Oldham last season.

With Post Office Road having been upgraded in recent seasons, and with recruitment of players such ex-Australian National Rugby League half-back Nu Brown and experienced full-back Craig Hall, owner Campbell hopes the appointment of an elite-level coach is the last piece of the jigsaw.

"I knew a coach of his quality wouldn't be available for long," he said.

"His track record, his ability to win big games will stand us in good stead for promotion next year."