Rugby League fans have given their verdict after Danny McGuire was sacked by Castleford Tigers and they generally all tend to agree.
It was a surprising decision by Castleford Tigers to axe McGuire given the fact he is a first-time head coach and has been given one of the worst squads in Super League.
He won just four of his 18 competitive games with the first of those being a Challenge Cup defeat at the hands of Bradford Bulls, however, a week later his side took Hull KR to golden point.
They’ve also pushed Wigan Warriors and Wakefield Trinity to the limit but ultimately, Thursday’s loss to fellow strugglers Huddersfield Giants has seen a change made.
McGuire leaves nine months into a three-year deal with Castleford now looking to appoint a new head coach yet again, having seen the likes of Andy Last, Danny Ward and Craig Lingard all leave in recent years.
Serious About Rugby League asked fans if they agreed with Castleford Tigers’ decision to sack Danny McGuire, and it’s fair to say that the replies were unanimous.
Castleford Tigers’ decision to sack Danny McGuire shocks fans
Well over 100 fans responded within two hours with the overwhelming majority disagreeing with the decision to sack McGuire. We’ve picked out a handful of the responses to show what rugby league fans think of the surprise sacking.
Clive Skidmore: Should have given him another season. He was a great player and I think he would have made us a great team. He would have learnt in his first season where he went wrong, got to give him time.
John Readshaw: A young coach that should have been given more time. Huddersfield are doing the right thing with Luke Robinson.
Mark Stephenson: No, I personally think he should have been given until middle of next season. That would have gave him enough time to work with the potential new signings which are supposed to be arriving.
Phillip Hewitt: No, not really. I think it was very short sighted and a decision Cas will live to regret. I firmly believe Danny will become a Top Coach.
Paul Steel: No, should have been given more time. Should have given him chance to bring in his own players, can’t really judge him when he’s coaching a team he hasn’t even assembled himself. No doubt he’ll land somewhere else and prove what a good coach he is.
Andrew Webster: It shouldn’t be the coach who gets the sack, it should be the players who don’t perform.
David Crossley: Too easy to blame the coach rather than the players. Replace on person, rather than a full team.
Darren McCluskey: The players have let him down. He can only tell them so much, once you crossed the line it’s up to the players to perform.
Eric T Cat
July 8, 2025 at 12:26 pm
So a board who’ve failed to deliver a new stadium for decades, no doubt expecting somebody else to pay for it and do it, who have starbed the club of investment, consistently sold their best players, not invested in new quality players, have relied on coaches who’ve tried their hardest with journeymen, youngsters, and freak talents that flare up from time to time, players who never give up, pick themselves up, and go again, play after play, match after match, season after season, the board have, in their infinite wisdom sacked yet another coach. Now, some other poor sod will step up, to the whipping post, try their hardest, and this time next year get the same treatment! Why sign a coach to three year deal if you’ve no intention of honouring it?
It’s a league, some teams must be at the bottom, various factors influence that, unlike Huddersfield who have seemingly had assassins track their players and winged and hamstrung most of them, Castleford’s issues are of their boards own making, blaming the coach, and by extension the players, is grossly unfair, you can see how much Danny McGuire cares, he lives every play, breathes every tackle, it’s a winder he doesn’t run on and grab the ball, “No, like this!” during a match to score a try or two, it matters to him, and he deserves better. Maybe a spell on the NRL as an assistant might be an option for him? Then come back with more knowledge, experience, and improved skillset?
John Dalton
July 8, 2025 at 1:26 pm
Martin Jepson, hang your head in shame. You are following the old, old pattern of sacking the wrong person! Try yourself first! Getting another whipping boy in, is not going to solve “The lack of investment” problem. Either dig deep in your pockets, or get out of there!
Brisbane Tiger
July 9, 2025 at 1:05 am
Whilst I agree that McGuire was harshly treated, it’s a results driven business. The head coaching job probably came too soon in Danny’s coaching career but he was picked, and more importantly he accepted the job knowing how weak the playing roster was. Great players don’t always make great coaches, I hope Danny becomes a great coach, I can see him going to Leeds in some coaching role to gain further experience until his time comes to coach the first team.
With regards to Martin Jepson, the guy has stepped up to the plate and put some much needed funding into the club, he’s secured grade A status, something that was a pipe dream before his arrival. It’s obviously a long slow process to rebuild a team that’s not performed well for eight years.
Look at Wigan and Saints, they have fantastic production lines of youth players and promote them into the first team, local lads who want to play for the team they grew up watching with pride. Cas used to have a great youth system, but we never really gave those lads a chance to develop into regular first team players. Cas need to get back to investing in local youth rather than bring in second rate overseas players.