Castleford Tigers are in a relegation scrap with Wakefield Trinity with wins over Leeds Rhinos and Warrington Wolves proving not enough to pull them away from their West Yorkshire rivals.
Increasing pressure was mounting on the Tigers especially ahead of their next game which sees them take on Wakefield away in what could prove to be a do or die clash for the club and their Super League status.
But they turned out a disappointing display against Huddersfield Giants last time out resulting in the immediate departure of Andy Last.
After a protest from a number of fans who refused to leave after the game, the Tigers parted company with Last.
Now his assistant and Batley Bulldogs boss Craig Lingard has had his say on BBC Radio Leeds:
“Yeah, really, really, really, really disappointed for him. I think if league positions were done based on hard work and desire and emotion and commitment, then we would have been in the top of the league, but unfortunately that’s not transformed into performances and league points.
“I didn’t know Lasty before I came to Cas, but what a bloke he is as an individual, I’m really, really sorry to see him go and disappointed that, I guess, as a staff and as a group of players, we’ve let him down a little bit and we couldn’t make that game to put our Castleford at the table.
“But, you know, we’ve still got six cup finals left of our own at Castleford that we’re going to be fully focusing on and doing the best we can to do the town proud and hopefully keep Castleford in Super League.”
When asked what he knows about the steps the club will take, Lingard said:
“You know as much as me at this moment in time. All I know is that discussions are happening. From what I read in the media, discussions are happening. I’m sure as soon as decisions are made, then phone calls will be made, hopefully, to let people know what the situation is. Whoever is left there staff-wise and player-wise, there will be 100% commitment to the end of the season.”
He also admitted that his future at the club is now unclear:
“Again, I don’t know, I guess it all depends on who comes in. I’m assuming that I’ll be there until the end of the season based on whether it’s a short-term appointment or a longer term appointment, I’m not 100% sure.
“If it’s a short-term appointment then we’ll reassess at the end of the season and it’ll depend on who comes in and what staff they want to bring in from that moment in time I guess.
“I think Mark Moxon still needs an assistant coach. If the worst comes to worse, I might have to go back with my tail between my legs and work for Mocco.”
