MARK MOXON says his old colleague Craig Lingard has the credentials to lift Castleford up the Super League standings.
The new Tigers team chief is going into his fourth week at the helm and preparing to step up preparations for next season.
Lingard got the top job on a two-year contract after five months combining his role as coach of Batley with that of assistant at Castleford.
He worked with Andy Last, then Danny Ward, to help the Tigers seal top-flight survival.
Moxon, the new Batley coach, was Lingard’s right-hand man over his four years at the Bulldogs’ helm.
And before that, the pair were assistants to John Kear at Batley for three years before Lingard left to take charge of Keighley ahead of the 2017 season.
“Craig has certainly got the experience now, and I’m delighted for him that he has the opportunity to be a head coach in Super League,” said Moxon.
“I think he’s probably better suited to being that than an assistant, so things have worked out well.
“It’s a tough gig, but Craig knows the club now and he has a couple of good assistants in Danny McGuire and Scott Murrell, who will be a big help to him.”
Former Leeds halfback ace McGuire switched to Castleford last month after six years at Hull KR, first as a player and then on the coaching staff.
He had a stint in interim charge in 2022 and had been approached by Castleford about taking the top job before deciding to continue as an assistant.
Ex-Hull KR stand-off Murrell is approaching the first anniversary of his appointment to the Castleford coaching staff.
He had previously combined playing with an assistant coaching role at both Halifax and Keighley.
Castleford have assembled a 30-strong squad which includes three former Batley players, fullback Luke Hooley, centre Josh Hodson and prop Samy Kibula.
