HE may well be the head coach of Castleford Tigers, but Danny McGuire was once a legend at Leeds Rhinos and part of a blooming coaching set-up at Hull KR.
McGuire played 426 games for the Rhinos, scoring 267 tries, and playing across 18 seasons at Headingley.
In his final hurrah, the diminutive halfback won the Harry Sunderland Trophy for a man-of-the-match winning performance in the 2017 Super League Grand Final.
But now McGuire has finally spoken about his exit from Headingley and just how difficult it proved to be.
“It probably didn’t end the way I would have liked it to,” McGuire told Sky Sports’ The Bench podcast.
“I just felt like I wanted to carry on playing and there people in charge who wanted me to carry on and there were others that didn’t want me to.
“Brian (McDermott) wasn’t so sure whilst Gary (Hetherington) was keen for me to carry on but Gary had to back the coach.
“I was wounded and that’s why I ended up playing so well in 2017 because it was my way of going “I’ll show you”.
“I knew deep down I still had a little bit more to give. When you play for Leeds, there’s always pressure but I was under pressure from when I first signed at Leeds.
“The young kids would always try and bash me because I played for Leeds so I was trying to prove myself from a young age.
“I got the Hull KR journey on the back of it, so I wouldn’t change anything. The rugby was up and down for two years but the coaching, I learnt so much.”
McGuire then also reflected on his time at Hull KR and how his exit was “tough” after spending just one full season with Willie Peters.
“It was tough because I was really enjoying it and I thought I was part of this long-term process that the club had spoken about.
“I saw myself in this journey. We had been improving, we had changed the environment. Tony Smith came in and we saw some improvements with a Challenge Cup semi-final.
“I felt like I was a decent influence and played my part in that I really enjoyed that year with Willie. I learnt in that year more than what I’d learnt in the ten years.
“There were a couple of things that happened with differences in opinion which happens in coaching in life and sport.
“I felt it was ok and we would work together for the rest of the year and then it came a bit out of the blue. I’m cool with it now I wasn’t at the time.
“It was a shock and it was probably more the timing of it which was disappointing as it was just before the play-off game against Leigh – it could have been done a little bit better.
“It was tough but it’s sport and that happens. I had some things going on in my life so it wasn’t one-sided.”