Dorn lights up Quins coach

14 April 2012

Delighted Harlequins coach Brian McDermott hailed his players after their 28-26 win over Bradford.

He said: "This was a more pleasing win than the Hull game three weeks ago. The players showed a fair amount of grit and composure out there.

"I wanted Luke Dorn to take control and he was fantastic and made all the right decisions. He did as much with ball as without it and steered around the field really well."

He added: "This is a funny season. Lose one, and you're going to get relegated; win one, and you're going to win the grand final."

McDermott also pinpointed the display by Paul Sykes as key to victory.

He said: "Paul was massive for us today. He volunteered to go up to Wigan with the under-21s last week to get his fitness levels up. He went up and down in the coach in one day. His kicking was very good.

"I can't say enough about Henry Paul, too. We were team-mates at Bradford and I didn't know how he would react to me as a coach but he has been superb.

"And I think Rob Purdham should be in the Great Britain squad. He is a lot more than a grafter, he is a really good player."

Disappointed Bulls coach Steve McNamara said: "I am frustrated and disappointed with the performance. We didn't deserve to win because we simply weren't good enough.

"We lacked fluency in possession and our ball control let us down. In defence, we kept being knocked back in the tackle. We knew that Harlequins would be strong and tenacious and they were all of that."

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