Confirmed” – Chris Chester to Lead Castleford Tigers Into Massive Super League Clash in Shock Coaching Twist!
Chris Chester will lead Castleford Tigers in their huge Super League game with Salford Red Devils on Sunday: but he will not be a long-term candidate to replace Danny McGuire.
The Tigers announced on Monday evening that they had parted company with McGuire less than a year after he was appointed as Craig Lingard’s successor.
McGuire leaves Castleford having won just four games all season. His final game in charge was a disappointing defeat at home to West Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield Giants.
The Tigers confirmed on Monday evening that McGuire had left the club and, perhaps more surprisingly, that Chester would be stepping into the breach.
That will be for at least this weekend’s game against the Red Devils, and marks a return to the dugout for Chester for the first time since he was sacked by Wakefield Trinity in 2021.
But Love Rugby League has been told that Chester will not be a contender for the role, with Castleford’s board keen to pursue an outside appointment.
They are keen for Chester to return to his newly-appointed position of head of rugby as swiftly as possible and allow him to continue to build a squad for 2026 and beyond.
That need for clarity on the recruitment front has been exacerbated further by news that Super League’s overseas quota is going to increase to ten spots in 2026, as reported by Love Rugby League on Monday.
After Sunday’s game against Salford there is another long turnaround of a week until the Tigers play again, on Sunday July 20 against Warrington Wolves.
Castleford have not ruled out a swift appointment to minimise Chester’s time in the dugout and allow the new-look coaching team to have as much of a say in this season and who arrives for next year.