Castleford Tigers’ next head coach tasked with untapping dysfunctional potential

Castleford Tigers are preparing for life without Ryan Carr, and with that comes a whole heap of uncertainty.

Carr is likely to depart within days and the Tigers will be on the lookout for a fifth head coach in four years, instability that simply can no longer continue.

In and amongst the chaos, Castleford have somehow managed to position themselves in a place where they could actually kick on next year, even if many events of the last 12 months have appeared to be an internal sabotage attempt.

They have, on paper at least, recruited superbly for next year and should kick on. That said, they now need to find a head coach to lead them into that, which brings with it a whole heap of complications.

But whoever the next person is who takes control, there has at least been enough evidence to show that there is something to work with at Castleford.

This win was hardly a classic but the Tigers were tough, resilient and full of effort. It gets you a fair way in rugby league.

The challenge for the next coach is getting it out consistently. The Tigers are the only team in Super League to defeat both Leeds Rhinos and Wigan Warriors this season, yet they are also the only team to concede more than 70 points in a game, and they’ve been kept to nil twice.

But with new recruits coming alongside some much-needed exits beyond the squad, maybe, just maybe, this dysfunctional club can finally get back on track next year.

Understandably, everyone will be sceptical. There have been too many false dawns, too many assurances that things are turning for the better, only for it to misfire.

There’s a lot of work to be done, across all areas. Carr’s inevitable exit, while tricky by nature to manage, has not been handled well. It’s resulted in a divide between players, fans and club that can always be rectified, but inevitably adds strain, especially after the club’s disappointing recent past.

But all that said, Castleford might just be on to something. That’s for their next coach to work out.