Brian McDermott agrees to long term extension with the Toronto Wolfpack

Toronto Wolfpack Head Coach Brian McDermott, fresh off guiding the Club to a historic Super League promotion, has pledged his long-term commitment to the Toronto expansion side by signing a five-year deal to remain at the helm.

Originally signed by the Wolfpack in November 2018, McDermott was recruited with the express aim of seeing the Canadian team rise to the top-flight Super League as quickly as possible. A remarkable record of 28-1 throughout 2019 saw this goal achieved at the first attempt from the towering 49-year old.

Speaking after agreeing to the long-term deal, McDermott was full of praise for the Club:

“I came to the Wolfpack with a clear purpose and thankfully as a team we were able to achieve those goals in 2019. From the moment I walked through the doors here I knew we had great people and that as a Club, we could go anywhere. The biggest attraction the Club has to me is its unique status. It’s the first transatlantic sports team and I think anyone would want to be involved in anything that’s a ‘first’. While five years is a long contract and a massive commitment, it makes sense as the Club needs long-term coaching that will see systems and processes being put in place on an off the field in the pursuit of continued success. I want to thank the players, staff and fans in Toronto and abroad for welcoming me into the Wolfpack family. The Club is fantastic and I am thrilled to sign this five year deal to continue on what is an exciting journey.”

Since debuting with Bradford Bulls in 1994, McDermott has collected over 25 years Rugby League experience as a player and coach, a career that has produced consistent success at the highest levels. In addition to seven Super League championships, three as a player and four as a coach, the ex-military Yorkshireman’s resume also features a World Club Challenge title and multiple Challenge Cup victories.

McDermott has identified three main focus areas for his five-year tenure, all designed to build a sustainable team that achieves meaningful success both on and off the field. The first is already reflected in recent signings made by the Wolfpack, and that is the need to recruit and retain quality players that buy into the Club’s core beliefs and lives those values out each day.

The second is to continue the creation of an environment that reflects the absolute best of every individual at the Club. McDermott firmly believes in the good that can be done by sporting organizations and speaks extremely passionately on the subject.

“We have the bravery to aim high. We have players and staff that have the courage to say we want to be in finals and achieve success. But that cannot be at the expense of doing the right thing. This applies to all players, coaching staff, support and office staff. When everyone at the Club buys into our agreed upon philosophies then we are creating an environment to win in every sense of the word. Success for us will be determined by a number of things. Our involvement in the community, the number of fans we can connect with by assisting in the rise of Rugby League in North America while including the flourishing of new players, and of course winning games and trophies.”

The third main pillar of McDermott’s five-year plan focuses on that last point, winning trophies. As a professional sporting team, everything is underpinned by the ambition to achieve on-field success and rewarding the faith of supporters. With a tremendously successful pedigree in Rugby League, McDermott dares to discuss winning. He wants to win and he wants to build a team that understands what it takes to be the last ones standing.

“The Wolfpack is here for the long term. We’re aware of how big the task ahead of us is but we’re also aware of just how exciting it is that we’re giving ourselves a genuine chance to affect and change Rugby League in both Canada and the UK. This is a dynamic that only our club has.”