Luke Robinson shares emphatic stance on Castleford Tigers job

Luke Robinson insists he is ‘very comfortable’ about being assistant coach at Castleford Tigers, and has seemingly ruled out the prospect of applying for the head coaching position.

Robinson has joined the Tigers on a long-term deal but in a peculiar situation. He has officially joined as assistant coach and the club have insisted that is his job title – but he is now effectively doubling up as the interim head coach after confirming on Thursday he has selected the team that will face Catalans this week.

But beyond that, Robinson has stressed he will not be the long-term successor to Ryan Carr.

Robinson rules out Castleford job chance

Speaking on Thursday lunchtime, Robinson insisted he is excited about the opportunity to be part of the club’s vision for the future, but that he is comfortable stepping back into an assistant coaching position in 2027 and beyond.

“It came from them as much as it did me, really,” he said when asked about the role choice.

“I just felt with the experience I had, I took loads from it, but it was about getting back into coaching and doing what I love. That’s the coaching – not the bureaucracy of dealing with people above you. I was really comfortable with being an assistant coach and helping us progress not only this year, but in the future years. I’m very comfortable with it from my perspective.”

Robinson did confirm though that he was effectively in charge for the rest of 2026, admitting he has picked this week’s team.

“I have this week,” he said when asked if he has picked the team.

“I feel like it’s my first proper week and it’s taken a bit of time but I’ve taken a bit of a lead this week so this is the first week it’s been on me a little bit more. I’ve leaned heavily on Scott Murrell if I’m being honest. He’s the only coach left from when the season started.”

Robinson outlines Castleford Tigers move

The former Huddersfield coach admits he is reinvigorated by a break after leaving the Giants at the start of this season – and the chance to come to Castleford at an albeit interesting period is one he is motivated by.

He smiled: “I’ve not had a summer holiday since I was 15 years old. My wife and kids had booked to go to Toulouse for the (Huddersfield) game. So we extended it, had three days in London, five days in Toulouse and the plan was to go on to Portugal and have a little bit of a tour. I got a call on a night from Chezzy (Chris Chester) asking what I was doing and could we meet.

“Rugby league is in my blood, I’ve always enjoyed coaching and I think I’m good at it. It’s not a job, it’s a passion. I’ve held talks with some other clubs about some roles within the game so there was stuff happening in the background but this came out, and I snatched it with both hands and cancelled my holiday.

“I’m really excited by the vision the club has given me. When I’ve spoken to the owner, where they want the club to progress seems really exciting. It didn’t take me very long to sit down in their company and work out that they know there’s been some trials and tribulations going on that they need to eradicate, but the vision, I really want to be part of it.”