Castleford Tigers’ coaching shortlist has been narrowed down to “four or five” names and interviews will begin in the next few days.
Director of rugby Chris Chester hopes to make a relatively quick appointment, but admits the new man may not be in place until after the end of this season.
Chester has been heading the coaching team – which also includes assistants Brett Delaney, Scott Murrell and Rob Nickolay – since Danny McGuire was sacked last week.
He is also leading the search for a full-time team boss and speaking at today’s (Thursday) weekly press conference ahead of Sunday’s home game against Warrington Wolves, he revealed: “We’ve narrowed that list down to probably four or five candidates.”
Chester said: “It is one we have got to take our time with and will take our time with. It needs to be right.
“We are quite far down the line with talking to agents and coaches, both here in the UK and overseas.
“We have got to get it right and we will make sure we do. I have been really upbeat and positive about the applicants we are going to interview over the next three or four days.
“Some very good-quality coaches have put their name forward and there’s some good-quality coaches we have thanked for applying, but it’s probably not the right time.
“We are well ahead of where we need to be, but we are not going to rush into anything – it has got to be the right person and right fit. It has got to be a coach who is really going to connect the town and bring that buzz back.”
Castleford Tigers ‘highly unlikely’ to appoint new coach in coming weeks
The interim coaching team will remain in charge for Sunday’s game and Chester said it is “highly unlikely” the new boss will arrive at the club within the next few weeks.
“There’s a number of coaches who are currently in jobs,” he noted. “The right thing and professional thing for them to do is potentially see the season out.
“We’ll know more in a few weeks. We’ve got an interview process that I’ll be heavily involved in with the board and we’ll come to a collective decision on who that perfect fit is.
“If it does come before the end of the season, brilliant [but] the longer we go, it’s looking highly unlikely someone will be in before the end of the season.
“He definitely needs to be here for day one of pre-season and hopefully a number of weeks before that.
“It just depends on the candidate and the role they’ve currently got, but I envisage the new coach will hit the pre-season running. I’m looking forward to making that announcement over the coming weeks.”
Meanwhile Chester has played down speculation Tigers are trying to temp hooker Liam Hood to Castleford when his Wakefield Trinity contract ends this autumn.
He said: “I signed Liam Hood at Wakefield and I know what a quality player he is. He has gone really well for Wakefield, but there’s been no discussions with him. We are okay in the hooking department as it stands at the minute.”
