CASTLEFORD TIGERS hope to confirm their new coaching team tomorrow (Tuesday), with Craig Lingard at the helm.
Lingard is set to step up from his current role as assistant coach, and be joined on the staff by Danny McGuire following his departure from Hull KR.
It will be Castleford’s third fresh appointment in a tumultuous year, after Lee Radford and Andy Last both left the job during a difficult 2023 season.
Danny Ward took over on a short-term deal and kept the Tigers in Super League, but turned down the job on a longer basis.
Instead Castleford will be led into 2024 by Lingard who, in four seasons at Batley Bulldogs, led the club to a Championship Grand Final and this year’s 1895 Cup Final.
In May, he was appointed as a Tigers assistant and combined the role with his Batley job for the remainder of the season.
But he is now set to be confirmed in the head coach role that he initially applied for before the position was given to Last.
Lingard will work alongside Leeds Rhinos legend McGuire, who last week left Hull KR after six years with the club as player and coach.
Together the duo face a tough job rebuilding Castleford, who spent the season locked in a battle for Super League survival.
The club is believed to be operating on a smaller budget next season, with no automatic relegation under the new club-grading system introduced by IMG.
No fewer than 20 players have left the club in the last few months, while nine new signings have been made even without a head coach in place.
Lingard does know two of them well, however, having coached Josh Hodson and Luke Hooley while at Batley.
Castleford have also signed Hull KR duo Rowan Milnes and Sam Wood, plus Josh Simm and overseas quota players Elie El-Zakhem, Sylvester Namo and Nixon Putt from Australia.
Last week they secured Innes Senior on a season-long loan from Huddersfield Giants, with fellow winger Elliot Wallis going in the other direction on a permanent basis.
The Tigers have also retained forward pair George Lawler and Muizz Mustapha, on two- and one-year deals respectively.
Versatile Lawler, who joined Castleford from Hull KR ahead of the 2022 season, made clear the strides that the Tigers need to make.
“I’m really looking forward to this year after a year that didn’t go the best and was embarrassing at times,” he said.
“We need a massive pre-season and with the signings we’ve made hopefully it will be a lot better next year.
“We need to show a bit more grit and a lot more togetherness because that goes a long way.
“The boys who have already signed and the players coming over for next year seem excited about it. I’m happy to stay for the next two years.
“We need to get back to where Castleford fans can be proud of us each week and we will be putting the work in and giving them something to shout about.”
