Pressure all on Warrington to make good start, says Leeds Rhinos' boss Brian McDermott

The West Yorkshire club begin their title defence with an intriguing televised opener at Halliwell Jones Stadium tonight.

Big-spending Warrington suffered an alarming fall from grace last term when – just 12 months after finishing top – they slipped into the Middle Eights and faced relegation fears.

Under new coach Steve Price, though, and with a raft of high-profile signings, they are hoping to achieve what Leeds did last year. Rhinos endured Qualifiers misery in 2016 yet bounced back to win an eighth Super League title last October.

Nevertheless, McDermott insisted: “Psychologically, the whole thing about being in the Middle Eights is crazy.

“It is a scary process. The pre-season after 2016, building up to 2017, was one of the most intense we’ve had. Not because it was hard, or we ran up more hills or carried more weight on our backs. It was just the pressure you were under, because of where you’ve just been.

“So you have to come out of the blocks in good fashion, but it is not a given you can get out from under the cloud.

“We didn’t do that until right at the back end of 2017; we secured second spot with about three rounds to go and I knew that was an achievement. I’m not bothered about what anyone else said, for me as their coach I knew we’d be in good shape for 2018.

“(But) it was only then I thought we just might be getting out from under this cloud. Obviously what happened towards the back end of ‘17 meant we are out of the woods.

“(But) the pressure doesn’t leave you – you have to be really good from the off.

“I think Warrington will have to win the first six or seven to completely forget about the Middle Eights; if they are scratchy for the first couple of rounds all that pressure will raise its head again.”

McDermott conceded he does not know what to expect from Wolves after former Leeds and Great Britain coach Tony Smith ended his nine-year reign there.

He said: “They are the unknown, Warrington. I don’t know too much about the coach, they’ve had a fair turnover of players and it’s the first time (I’ve coached against them) without Tony Smith being there.

“I should imagine it will be an intense game and if anything, they won’t lack enthusiasm.”