IF there has been one Super League team that has underperformed in 2023 then it is Castleford Tigers.
The Tigers have lost ten fixtures from 12 with new head coach Andy Last winning just two of his nine games in charge since taking over.
Last was appointed on an interim basis just three rounds in following the departure of Lee Radford before being given the reins on a permanent basis.
Now the former Hull FC assistant coach has admitted that the Tigers job has been “more difficult” than what he first thought it would be.
“It has been a little bit more difficult than what I anticipated when I took over. There are some challenges as a club and moving forward but I’m excited by it,” Last said.
“It’s a a real opportunity to have a real rebuild and restart to get the club where we want it to be and challenging at the right end of the season.
“It’s a big job, the addition of Craig Lingard on to the staff and there is Scott Murrell there too that will help us.”
First up for Last will be deciding which players he will keep on at The Jungle with 18 players out of contract.
“It’s going to be a challenge and I knew that challenge when I applied for that job. We knew there were a lot of players off contract,” Last continued.
“There will be tough decisions that have to be made. players have to take responsibility and make sure they hold themselves accountable because at the minute there wouldn’t be many that we would re-sign in terms of where we are in the table.
“If we get our performances in order then it would make it likely we would re-sign them or another team would come in and sign them.”