Leeds Rhinos: McDermott '˜concerned' as Leeds slump to another defeat

Wigan Warriors' Morgan Escare is tackled by Leeds Rhinos' Liam Sutcliffe (left) and Richie Myler (right).

Rhinos were crushed 46-8 at Wigan Warriors last night.

They have never before lost seven successive games in a Super League season, though they did lose two play-offs at the end of 1999 and their opening five league games the following year.

“I could give you some cliches –there’s still some life in us and we’re not done yet,” McDermott said.

Wigan Warriors' Liam Farrell is tackled by Leeds Rhinos' Mikolaj Oledzki (left) and Mitch Garbutt (right).

“That’d be true but if you are asking am I concerned? For sure.

“We’ve just lost seven on the bounce and we can’t keep doing that.”

Leeds went ahead last night through an early Brett Ferres try, but were never in the game after that.

Wigan scored three first half tries to go in 22-4 ahead and though the second period was more even in patches, the hosts still added four more touchdowns after the break.

Wigan Warriors' Liam Marshall goes over for a try past Leeds Rhinos' Jack Walker.

Their final 14 points – from two converted tries and a penalty – came in the last 10 minutes after Romain Navarrete had been sin-binned for a dangerous

tackle on Jack Ormondroyd.

McDermott added: “I thought we conceded way too many soft tries, it was too easy for Wigan in that first half.

“The long ball got us. We were too dopey in defence against that.

“There were some tries there that we did well in the build up, then a play later or a couple later they end up with a soft try.

“There’s some blokes who are learning harsh lessons that are probably not ready for week in week out, but that team was good enough.

“The most disappointing thing was how much it wasn’t a contest. For too many patches of that game it wasn’t a contest. That hurts.”

Rhinos will drop into the bottom four if Huddersfield Giants win at Hull KR tonight and Catalans Dragons beat Castleford Tigers in Perpignan tomorrow.

Wigan coach Shaun Wane believes last year’s Grand Final winners will turn things around.

“I think they will improve massively,” he predicted.

“They will be hurting but I think a team will get if off them soon. They have got too many good players in their team.”

Of his own side’s performance, Wane added: “I’m pleased, we did okay.

“We scored some good tries and stuck to our game plan. We knew the flaws we wanted to expose and we did that.”