Brian McDermott has challenged his Harlequins RL side to bounce back at Wakefield this weekend after the Londoners were thrashed by Leeds last Saturday.

Quins entered the Rhinos clash with the hopes of climbing to second in the Super League table and of completing a first double over the visitors since 1996.

But the Stoop side were thrashed 48-14, and McDermott has demanded an immediate response.

He said: “It has been quite a while since we have been beaten like that.

“We have been turned over a couple of times this season but not like that.

“We have been riding high for the past few weeks and this is a bit of a reality check for everybody.

“We were taught a bit of a lesson and it is a lesson we must learn.

“This really gives everyone at the club a slap around the face and tells us perhaps we are not as good as we think we are, and now we have to respond.”

Chris Melling, David Howell and Chad Randall crossed for Quins to little avail.

And now the injuries are beginning to mount, with skipper Rob Purdham likely to miss a few weeks after undergoing artery bypass surgery after suffering a blood clot in the hand.

Purdham joins fellow starters Luke Dorn (broken leg), Chad Robinson and Gareth Haggerty on sidelines, and with stand-in scrum-half Luke Gale also limping off on Saturday, McDermott admitted reality is beginning to bite.

He added: “Everyone suffers injuries so you will not hear me complaining about that.

“They are beginning to hit hard but we just have to work on through.

“We have enough talent here to get by and it will be up to all of us to adjust to move forward.”

Harlequins RL’s next three matches: Jun 28 Wakefield (a), Jul 3 Wigan (a), 11 Huddersfield (h)