Castleford Tigers Navigating a Challenging Transition
Castleford Tigers have endured a difficult stretch in recent seasons, finishing 11th in the 2023 campaign after back-to-back 7th place finishes in 2021 and 2022, and a 9th place result in 2020. However, the club’s fortunes were vastly different just a few years ago, with the Tigers lifting the prestigious League Leaders’ Shield in 2017, only to fall short against the Leeds Rhinos in that year’s Grand Final.
The 2024 season has proved challenging for Castleford thus far, with the team winning just once in their opening eight games. Yet, under the guidance of head coach Craig Lingard, the Tigers have started to find their groove, securing three victories and one draw in their last 12 matches. As they prepare for a crucial clash against the Leeds Rhinos, Lingard believes his squad is still a work in progress, emphasizing that it could take several years before Castleford are ready to challenge at the top of the Super League once again.
“If players want to be winning something over the next 12 months, it’s not going to be a Castleford,” Lingard told BBC West Yorkshire Sport. “We’re not going to be challenging the top end of the table at Castleford, realistically. We’ve got this two or three-year journey where we’re going to be, where we’re hopefully then going to be at the end of that period that we’re going to be challenging in a top six. Then we might be challenging for honours, but we’re not quite there at the minute.”
To aid their resurgence, Castleford have completed some mid-season transfers, including the signing of Tex Hoy from Hull FC, who has added a much-needed spark to their attack. However, Lingard acknowledges that the competitive nature of the transfer market poses significant challenges for a club like Castleford, as players demand higher salaries that can be difficult for teams with smaller budgets to match.
As Castleford Tigers navigate this transitional period, their focus remains on gradually rebuilding and positioning themselves to compete at the highest level of rugby league once again.
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