DANNY McGuire has opened up on the pain of his Leeds Rhinos exit in 2017, but admits he would not change what has followed in the eight years since.
The former Great Britain and England halfback was part of Leeds’ golden generation and signed off his time at his home-city club with an eighth Super League grand final triumph and the Harry Sunderland trophy after scoring two tries against the side he is now head coach of, Castleford Tigers, at Old Trafford.
But the backdrop to that was a behind-the-scenes drama where head coach Brian McDermott and chief executive Gary Hetherington were at odds over whether to extend the then-35-year-old McGuire’s contract, with McDermott’s view eventually prevailing to end a 16-year stay with Leeds.
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“I loved my time there and when I think back to when I left Leeds, I was devastated because I assumed I’d be there for all my life, I’d never leave and I’d have a job there until I was 65,” McGuire told The Bench podcast.
“It wasn’t bad terms, but it probably didn’t end how I would have liked. I wanted to carry on playing.
“Brian wasn’t so sure, Gary was keen for me to carry on, but Gary had to back the coach and I commend him for that.
“I was wounded by that and I think that’s why I ended up playing so well in 2017, because that was my way of saying ‘f*** you’.”
McGuire would play on for two more seasons in the Betfred Super League with Hull KR, followed by joining the Robins’ backroom staff after hanging up his boots at the end of the 2019 season, initially as head of recruitment.
He then became assistant coach to Tony Smith two years later, serving a 10-game spell as interim head coach after Smith depared the following season, and served the same role with Willie Peters before departing at the end of 2023.
McGuire admitted the decision not to retain him as an assistant at Hull KR came as a surprise too, although he is grateful for the lessons he took from Peters at the start of Hull KR’s rise over the past three seasons.
“I got the Hull KR journey off the back of [leaving Leeds] and I wouldn’t change anything now,” McGuire said.
“The rugby was very tough for two years at KR and it was very up and down, but we had some good moments.
“But the coaching, what I learnt and the people I met off the back of that, I wouldn’t change that, so I’m really happy and glad it played out that way.”
McGuire stepped into his first full-time head coach role ahead of the 2025 Betfred Super League season, succeeding Craig Lingard after spending last year as assistant to the now-Sheffield Eagles boss.
His reign began with a shock Betfred Challenge Cup defeat away to Betfred Championship side Bradford Bulls in February, while the Tigers are currently 10th in Super League with four wins after 15 rounds of the regular season.
Nevertheless, McGuire is loving life at Cas and believes the team are starting to turn a corner.
“I’m really enjoying the challenge and what we’re trying to do as a club,” McGuire said.
“It’s not easy, there are some obstacles and some challenges in there, but overall I’m loving it and really content with my decision.
“I learnt loads off Willie Peters and just in that one year, it gave me a lot of confidence that I could do do this job and that I could handle it.
“It’s not been easy, we’ve had some ups and down, but I feel like in the last month we’re tracking the right direction, the players are starting to understand some of the things we’re doing and it can only get better.”