Former Hull FC man and NRL assistant interested in Castleford Tigers job

Former Hull FC and Salford Red Devils star Daniel Holdsworth is among the candidates from Australia who is interested in becoming Castleford Tigers’ next head coach.

Holdsworth is currently working in the NRL as part of the coaching staff at Cronulla Sharks under another ex-FC man, Craig Fitzgibbon.

But he is keen to secure his first big break as a head coach and is interested in a return to England to take on the Castleford job should the opportunity arise.

Love Rugby League can reveal that Holdsworth is among the candidates who have officially thrown their name into the hat for the job alongside a number of other current assistant coaches of NRL sides.

Holdsworth would appear to fit a lot of the criteria set by director of rugby Chris Chester on Thursday when he was asked what he was looking for in Danny McGuire’s successor.

Chester said: “I want someone pretty new and pretty fresh. An attacking style of rugby. We’ve got some exciting players and we’ve signed some exciting players. We want an attack-minded coach and someone that’s going to build and develop players.”

Holdsworth has been working with the Sharks for almost nine years, ever since announcing his retirement as a player.

He has worked through their coaching ranks in the club’s under-20s before advancing into the first-team picture under Fitzgibbon.

Highly regarded in Australia and seen as a future NRL head coach, Holdsworth is one of several candidates who have already declared their interest in the role officially with Castleford.

Holdsworth spent four seasons in Super League, three with Salford between 2010 and 2012. He then made the move to FC for a solitary season in 2013 before returning to Australia with Cronulla, where he finished his playing career.

And he is now open to a return to England to begin his career as a head coach.

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