LUKE ROBINSON says he was enticed to Castleford Tigers by the club’s vision for the future, but confirmed he has no interest in leading that as head coach.
Five months after the end of a difficult spell as Huddersfield Giants boss, Robinson is back in the sport as an assistant at Castleford.
He came to the OneBore Stadium during a tumultuous period in which Ryan Carr was absent, with the Australian’s departure as head coach then confirmed last Friday.
Ahead of the visit of Catalans Dragons this Friday, Robinson is leading a coaching staff which also includes director of rugby Chris Chester, existing coaches Scott Murrell and Rob Nickolay, plus another recent arrival in ex-Hull KR academy coach Jason Netherton.
Explaining his appointment at the Tigers, Robinson – who spent a year and a half at the Huddersfield helm after a lengthy stint as assistant – said: “Rugby league is in my blood.
“I’ve always enjoyed really coaching and I think I’m good at it, It’s not a job, it’s a passion.
“I was in talks with a couple of other clubs about different roles within the game, but this came up so I snatched it with both hands.
“The vision for club seems really exciting. They know there have been trials and tribulations and things they need to eradicate but the vision they had for the future, I really wanted to part of it.
“I know it’s tough at the moment and from the outside it all looks doom and gloom, but there’s a fair bit of light at the end of the tunnel.”
In the immediate term, Castleford have three matches left to try to finish as high up the table as possible. A victory over Catalans would take them level eighth.
“There’s a group of players who are busted, but they’re still united and want to have a real good go,” added Robinson.
“There are also a lot of people working really hard behind the scenes, but people are doing two or three jobs in one which dilutes the quality.
“Jason Netherton has come in as well to help out, which has alleviated some pressure on Chezzy (Chester).”
Robinson also briefly addressed his departure from Huddersfield, where he served for more than 18 years as player and coach.
He said: “It’s professional sport. I’ve been involved in it since 2000, and it’s the way it goes.
“There are things I disagree with, but I’ve held my cards close to my chest and that’s the honorable thing to do.”