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Leeds Rhinos: Burrow testimonial game deserves support - McDermott
LEEDS RHINOS boss Brian McDermott has spoken out in favour of players’ testimonials.
McDermott is urging fans to turn out in force on Friday night to support long-serving scrum-half Rob Burrow in his benefit game at home to Featherstone Rovers.
Burrow, 29, is the latest in a series of Rhinos players to celebrate a testimonial.
With players now being full-time and well paid, some fans question the need for testimonial seasons – which are usually awarded to mark 10 years at one club.
But McDermott insisted Burrow deserves rewarding for the sacrifices he has made in Rhinos’ cause over the past decade.
“I hope people aren’t becoming blasé towards testimonials and taking them and these players for granted,” McDermott said.
“Our players have a really strict and disciplined life and Rob has been adhering to those rules for the last 10 years.
“He probably hasn’t enjoyed some of the things that family life can give you because he has been committed to Leeds Rhinos for the past decade.
“Leeds as a club has had a few testimonials now and I know it is a commitment from everybody in the community, sponsors and investors in the club.
“But I hope everybody gets behind Rob on Friday in particular, as well as his year as a whole, just like they did the others.
“It would be too easy to say it’s just another testimonial. It is a testimonial for a bloke who has put his heart and soul into the club.”
Burrow is a two-time Harry Sunderland Trophy winner as Grand Final man of the match. He has won five Super League titles, two league leaders’ shields and the World Club Challenge twice, as well as earning five Great Britain caps and eight with England.
“He is a very individual bloke, full of character and humour,” McDermott said of Burrow, who – at 5ft 5ins tall – is the shortest player in Super League.
“He loves rugby league and understands the game.
“He loves the club and he has a unique game. His game has been based on his stature. I am sure he will have had plenty of people telling him over the years that would be a negative.
“He is not as big as other people, but he has turned that around into a positive. What isn’t said enough about Rob is how resilient and tough he is.”
Burrow finished last season as a regular substitute after McDermott opted to start with Kevin Sinfield and Danny McGuire as his half-back partnership.
The coach reckons the way he handled that is a mark of Burrow’s professionalism.
He said: “That’s when you get to find out about people. I won’t say now we know what Rob Burrow is like, because everybody at Leeds Rhinos knows what he’s like anyway.
“But it was confirmation of his commitment to the club. We asked him to do some stuff last year which he wasn’t 100 per cent happy with, but he went out and got on with it and gave it his all and we’re all grateful he did that.”
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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