Brian McDermott has launched a blistering attack on his Harlequins RL side, warning them that they face play-off heartache unless there is a dramatic change in form.

A month after looking set to go second in the Super League table the Londoners are now clinging desperately to a play-off spot after four straight defeats, the most recent a 32-16 home loss to Huddersfield on Saturday.

And McDermott issued a damning indictment of his side’s efforts.

He said: “Our attack has become a bit of a joke.

“The players are not taking charge out there and that grates me.

“We are being far too wishy-washy, and we are at walking pace at the end of a game.

“On Saturday we were absolutely terrible.

“We got ourselves into a winning position and then we came up with a load of crap.”

Luke Gale gave Quins an early lead, with two late Chris Melling tries setting up a tense finish that fell short.

And the injury-hit Stoop side suffered a further blow when Chad Randall limped off with a twisted knee.

But McDermott fells that could be a blessing in disguise.

He added: “I think Chad will miss a week and that is fine with me.

“With all the talk about these consecutive appearances (101) he has put a lot of pressure on himself to get out there each week, regardless of how he feels, so I am more than happy that the record will be broken.”

Quins will now head to France for a clash with the Catalan Dragons on Sunday, desperate to get their play-off dreams back on track.

And McDermott admitted things are getting no easier for his side.

He added: “We do have some tough fixtures coming up, but the Huddersfield game was a tough one as well.

“We have eight games left so there is no need to panic yet, but we have to see an improvement in performance.

“We need to stop worrying about other people and concentrate on our own form, and if we do that we will be fine.”

Harlequins RL’s next three matches: July 19 Catalan Dragons (a), 25 St Helens (h), Aug 2 Bradford (a)