TV Duo Join Irish Team for RLWC08
Rugby League fans following the sport’s coverage on Sky Sports in the UK have become accustomed to hearing what one-time engage Super League and international prop forwards Barrie McDermott and Terry O’Connor think about happenings in the sport.
The two mates, who put their on-field rivalry behind them to become off-field friends, have become an integral part of the Sky Rugby League commentary team for satellite station’s coverage of the engage Super League and Co-operative National Leagues and they will team up again for this year’s Rugby League World Cup as part of the Irish team management.
Former Oldham, Wigan, Leeds and Widnes prop McDermott, who now works as part of Leeds Rhino’s back room staff for his day-job, will be an assistant to the Irish Head Coach Andy Kelly while former Salford, Wigan and Widnes front rower O’Connor – his other job is as Sport Director with Widnes Vikings – is deputy to team manager Mike Callaghan.
And both men, who were in Ireland’s squad for the 2000 World Cup in Europe, are looking forward to the challenge faced by Ireland when they reach Australia in October.
McDermott, who gained one cap for England before switching his allegiance to his family’s home nation of Ireland, believes that the experience he gained in 2000 could well count for something when the Irish kick off their Finals campaign against Tonga at the Parramatta Stadium on October 27.
“It was a wonderful experience playing in the 2000 tournament,” he says. “And I’ve no doubt some of those experiences may well come in useful in Australia.
“But what we’ve got to remember is that this is the Class of 2008. They are different players, playing a different style and things have moved on.”
The Irish have remained faithful to involving players from the emerging Irish domestic game in their squad.
Barrie, who pulled on the Green of Ireland 13 times and the red, white and blue of Great Britain 17 times, said: “We see this as a responsibility to the game in Ireland.”
O’Connor’s collection of international caps includes nine for Ireland and 14 for Great Britain and he also emphasised the domestic point.
He explained: “Two lads from Irish Rugby League, Stevie Gibbons and Wayne Kerr, gave up everything including jobs and homes in Ireland joining National League Two club London Skolars in a bid to further their Rugby League careers and they’ve made rapid strides as a result.
“They’re trying to follow the trail blazed by Brian Carney who after just six games of Rugby League was signed by Gateshead and went on to fashion a great Rugby League career with Hull FC, Wigan, Newcastle Knights and Great Britain.
“There’s so much potential across the Irish Sea and appearing in the Rugby League World Cup won’t do any harm to the sport’s prospects in Ireland at all.”
O’Connor added that such is the growing enthusiasm for Rugby League in the Emerald Isle that there is serious discussion of forming a club with a view to entering the Co-operative National League and making the same kind of progress as Welsh club Celtic Crusaders who have just been awarded an engage Super League licence for 2009 until 2011.
Terry added: “I’ve been involved with Ireland since 1997 when there were just four teams playing in the country and we’ve moved on significantly because 12 clubs started off the 2008 season.”
Besides being part of the Sky Sports on-screen team of pundits O’Connor is now working hard as Sports Director to his home-town club, Widnes Vikings, and he was credited with being the driving force of the Irish 2000 World Cup campaign when they reached the quarter-finals.
“I’m really looking forward to the competition kicking off in Australia and it’s really special to be involved with Ireland,” he said.
Barrie, who played his last season as a professional with O’Connor at Widnes in 2006, is also hoping the World Cup in Australia to give his coaching career a leg-up.
“I’ve got a real passion for coaching,” he said. “But, because of other things happening in my life I haven’t been able to get involved in that side of the game.
“At the World Cup I’ll be working on a day-to-day basis with elite players under the spotlight and I’m hoping that might advance my coaching career by a couple of levels.
“It might also help me keep pace with the men who have gone into club Rugby League as coaches. One thing is for sure, I’m going to enjoy the experience.”
From John Huxley in the UK