Leeds Rhinos legend Danny McGuire joins Castleford Tigers as Craig Lingard is appointed coach

McGuire, an eight-time Grand Final winner with Leeds, will be assistant to former Batley Bulldogs boss Craig Lingard who has been appointed as Tigers’ head-coach.

McGuire left a similar role with Hull KR at the end of their 2023 Betfred Super League campaign, while Lingard spent part of last season as an assistant at Castleford, alongside his duties in charge of Batley.

He is Tigers’ fourth coach in less than a year. Lee Radford and his successor Andy Last were both sacked and Danny Ward turned down the role for 2024 after steering Tigers to Super League safety during a six-game stint in charge.

Both men have signed a two-year contract and McGuire said: “I’m really excited about the challenge. For me, it’s about looking forward to working with a really talented bunch of players and a club with history and everything that surrounds Castleford Tigers.

“I can’t wait to get stuck into it. It’s really nice to meet Craig, he seems a really good fella and I’m really excited to work alongside him.

He added: “I’m still fairly early on into my coaching journey, with loads to learn and experience, so I’m excited to be working alongside somebody who has achieved so much in the game. I’ll be picking his brains and hopefully we can gel really well and work well as a combination.”

Lingard said he is “massively honoured” to take the Tigers hot seat. He insisted: “Something I’ve always aspired to be is a head-coach in Super League and I’ve got that opportunity now.

“It has come a little bit sooner than I was expecting, but it’s something I’m going to grab with both hands and hopefully be a success.

“I’m coming in with my eyes wide open, it's not a new venue for me and I’ve got a good idea about the workings of the club.

“The bulk of the squad that are staying, I’ve got experience of working with those guys. I can work a bit more closely with them next year and put my stamp on how I want us to play and the values we want to bring back to Castleford Tigers to make us more successful than we have been this season.”