Castleford Tigers coaching decision put back as Chris Chester explains delay
Castleford Tigers' interim head coach Chris Chester
Castleford Tigers director of rugby Chris Chester has revealed the timescale to appoint their new head coach has been pushed back beyond this week, with supporters having to wait a while longer to discover who Danny McGuire’s successor will be.
Chester revealed last week that he had hoped to make a recommendation to the Tigers’ board at a meeting this Friday, with interviews taking place this week with the five-strong shortlist that was revealed by Love Rugby League last month.
However, with Chester juggling that process and the hefty task of coaching the team on an interim basis, he revealed on Wednesday that while talks are progressing, he is not prepared to rush the decision.
He said: “We’re a little bit further down the line than where we were last week. It’s just time at the minute. I’m juggling two jobs here but I’ve had initial discussions with the people that we’ve identified and those discussions are ongoing through the weekend.
“Hopefully the start of next week we’ll be sorted. I know I wanted to get something done before our board meeting on Friday but it’s just hard at the minute with timeframes and coaching. It’s just got to be right and we’ll make sure it is right.”
When asked if he had decided who he wanted to give the job to, Chester said: “I’ve got an idea who is the right fit for this club in 2026.
“There’s been a lot of very good candidates and I’m excited about the people who’ve applied and the four we’ve spoken to. I’ve just got to stay pretty neutral with it all and make sure it’s the right guy for the Castleford Tigers.”
The Tigers head to Hull KR this weekend, but they will be without centre Zac Cini, who suffered a series of facial fractures last weekend against St Helens and is set for a spell on the sidelines.
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