Castleford Tigers recruitment update as bold Chris Chester admission made

Castelford Tigers head coach Danny McGuire has detailed Chris Chester is already busy focusing on bringing new recruits to the Jungle, claiming he’s never seen anyone on the phone as much as him. 

Chester was appointed as the club’s director of rugby last week after a successful stint with the Leigh Leopards, helping the club win promotion to Super League and the 2023 Challenge Cup.

“He’s been really positive”

The former Leigh Leopards DoR has already got stuck into his new role in West Yorkshire too, it seems, with head coach McGuire revealing he is already putting all of his energy into finding new recruits.

“He’s been really helpful and proactive, he’s on the ball,” the Fords boss said. “He’s on the phone more than anyone I’ve ever seen! He’s making things happen.”

“Recruitment and retention isn’t easy, there are lots of moving parts all the time, but he’s been really positive and settled in really well. He’s looking at our environment too, and I’m excited to see what he can help us create.

“He did a fantastic job at Leigh, his recruitment numbers and success stories were really high and we all think that can happen here. He’s got experience in the game, he’ll be a good sounding board.”

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“He’s in the office every morning telling me and the rest of the coaches what he feels as well. He’ll be a really good addition to the group.”

While his focus right now is on recruitment, McGuire revealed he is already looking at ways he can help their environment and change their fortunes on the pitch as well.

“I’ve not had a deep chat with him regarding [the journey moving forward],” said the head coach. “He’s really busy with the recruitment side of things and looking for players, but he’s been scoping the environment and taking everything on board.”

“We’ve had plenty of conversations, but nothing too deep like that. I’m confident we can make things happen and turn things around. I’ve said it a lot this season already, but we’ve had some good moments coupled with things happening here and there, but we’ve got to see improvement.”

“We’ve got to see us getting better, and I believe we’re doing some good things behind the scenes, but it’s going to take some time to bear fruit on the field.”

Castleford now prepare for a clash with Salford Red Devils, with a win moving them four points clear of the bottom.

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