Castleford Tigers new coach on ‘not looking backwards’ as new signings teased and Chris Chester hailed

Castleford Tigers’ new coach Ryan Carr has revealed what would make a successful season in 2026.

The former Featherstone Rovers boss has arrived in England tasked with reviving the on-field fortunes of a club who finished second from bottom of Super League twice in the past three campaigns and were just one place better off in the other.

A drop in crowds contributed to Tigers losing their A-grade status in the latest club rankings and Carr wants to turn that around by giving fans something to be proud of.

He said: “We want to ensure when our fans come to watch us play they walk away proud, having pride in our community and club.

“There’s a rich history here, there’s been a lot of investment put in and we want to repay all that support with good performances and give people something they are proud of.”

Next season is Tigers’ centenary and Carr added: “It’s an exciting time for the club and a big year coming up.

“There’s a lot of changes happening; there’s a new 4g pitch [under construction], we’ve got new buildings being put up and a lot of work’s being done on the current facility.

“A lot of investment is being made, which is exciting. A lot of people care about the club and we’ve got to make sure we pay that faith back and do a good job on the field.”

“Hasn’t finished yet” – More signings to come at Castleford Tigers

Carr is no stranger to West Yorkshire, having coached Featherstone to the Championship Grand Final in 2019, when he doubled up as a part-time assistant-boss with Leeds Rhinos.

He returned to Australia after one season to work as assistant to Brad Arthur, who is now in charge of Rhinos, at Parramatta Eels before joining St George-Illawarra Dragons in a similar role.

Carr was appointed in August and completed the season with St George before heading to England.

Though he watched all Tigers’ 2025 games, that was more to get a feel for the competition than the way Castleford performed.

“I don’t want to look backwards too much,” he stated. “I just want to look forward. What happened last year was out of my control.

“What we can control is what we do next. I am more worried about how we turn up for week one of pre-season and where we go from there.”

Tigers have a new-look squad, with Jack Ashworth (from Hull FC), Renouf Atoni (Wakefield Trinity), Brock Greacen (Newcastle Knights), Liam Hood (Wakefield), Jordan Lane (Hull FC), Darnell McIntosh (Leigh Leopards),  Mikaele Rivalawa (St George), Semi Valemei (North Queensland Cowboys), Blake Taaffe (Canterbury Bulldogs) and Tom Weaver (Gold Coast Titans) all coming into the club.

More signings are planned by director of rugby Chris Chester and Carr stressed he is happy with the recruitment so far.

“Chezzy has done a great job,” he said. “We’ve been talking every day, even when I was in Aus.

“A lot of work has gone into that roster and it hasn’t finished yet. It is going to feel new and different, but it is going to come down to everyone doing their job, not just one or two individuals. We have got to make sure we start from the ground and build up.”

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