Jon Wilkin’s brutally honest Castleford Tigers verdict as Danny McGuire judgement made

Sky Sports pundit Jon Wilkin believes Castleford’s struggles this season arise from a distinct lack of quality in the squad: insisting no fault lies with Tigers head coach Danny McGuire.

Stepping up from assistant following Craig Lingard’s departure during the off-season, McGuire took charge at The Jungle ahead of 2025.

Having been beaten 24-14 on home soil by Hull FC on Thursday night, McGuire has so far seen his side win just one of their six Super League games, and that came at home against Salford amid the Red Devils’ ongoing financial plight.

The Tigers are also already out of the Challenge Cup having been beaten in that competition by Championship outfit Bradford Bulls last month.

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Jon Wilkin’s brutally honest Castleford Tigers verdict as Danny McGuire judgement made

On Thursday night against Hull, Cas had trailed 24-6 up until the 72nd minute with two late tries ensuring the scoreline flattered them somewhat in defeat.

Head coach McGuire admitted that was the case in his own post-match interview with Sky, venting his frustration at what he’d seen from his side being miles apart from what he continues to see on the training field.

And when asked for his verdict on the Tigers, pundit Wilkin didn’t hold back, though directed no blame McGuire’s way.

Wilkin said: “Inherently, his (McGuire’s) squad do not have resilience, therefore that’s why they spend less on players than any other team.

“In the league, they’re probably the least resilient and least skilful bunch of players.

“It’s not Danny McGuire… it’s not a coaching job here at Castleford, it’s a recruitment job and it’s a two or three-year process of recruiting different players.

“The players (here now) are trying, so it’s not lack of effort, it’s just whether the quality’s there.

“In a game that was stop-start, the quality of Aidan Sezer stands out and the quality of Jordan Rapana stands out, that’s where the difference is. Cas just don’t have that quality.”

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