CRAIG LINGARD has admitted that it will be “a challenge” in his new role at Sheffield Eagles.
Lingard was announced as Sheffield head coach last week following a year in charge of Super League side Castleford Tigers.
With the Eagles appointing a new head coach for the first time in two decades following Mark Aston’s investigation, suspension and subsequent appeal, Lingard has revealed that he has mixed things up entirely at the club.
“It will be a challenge as they have always worked under the same coach. It’s always difficult and different when someone else comes in,” Lingard said.
“The benefit for us this year is that I’m changing a lot of stuff with calls and shapes. Rather than leaving the calls and names of moves from last year, I wanted to start from scratch.
“All the new players coming in are fresh. All the returning players are fresh and everyone else is learning from the start. Everyone is on the same level.”
So how did the move to Sheffield come about?
“I got contacted initially, it wasn’t too long after the suspension was handed to Mark. The club was in that uncertain period where they didn’t know if they needed to bring in someone new.
“I said at the time that I wasn’t keen on progressing talks because they needed to talk to Mark first and then if there was a vacancy we would have that conversation.
“When that situation was resolved, we progressed those talks and progressed them quickly.
So what is the length of deal at Sheffield?
“It’s a rolling contract, Sheffield have said that they aren’t a club that changes head coach regularly so as long as they are happy and I’m happy then it will continue on a rolling basis.”
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