Castleford Tigers’ decision to part ways with Craig Lingard came as something of a shock this afternoon. The Tigers’ season came to an end a month ago and Lingard will have spent the last few weeks reflecting on a difficult first season in charge at Wheldon Road.
The head coach, who held an assistant role prior to his appointment, led the club to a 10th placed finish in Super League and while that was someway short of the race for the top six, in truth, the club and its fans probably couldn’t have hoped for too much more in 2024. Circumstances both on and off the field kept expectations in check and for many, Lingard managed to meet them.
He only picked up seven league wins, but under Lingard’s stewardship the Tigers managed to show some real signs of progress. A run of six winless games at the start of the year was followed by a lengthy period in which they managed to gain some momentum and traction.
St Helens and Catalans Dragons were beaten in what were the club’s two biggest results of the season and while a spot in the play-offs always looked beyond them, they looked capable of at least finishing inside the top eight.
In what was the first year of a three-year plan for Lingard and the club, that would have seen the club exceed expectations somewhat before building into next season and looking to progress from there.
As it was, Castleford Tigers slipped to just one win in their final nine games to eventually finish 10th. Lingard won’t have been pleased with what he saw in that period, but he will have been confident that given the time and patience, he could help the club kick on next season. That sentiment was shared by a lot of supporters, too, with Lingard remaining a popular choice for the Tigers hotseat.
Sacking him certainly wasn’t on the agenda, then, with the former Batley Bulldogs boss expected to take his Tigers into a second pre-season campaign and he was deserving of the opportunity, too. Martin Jepson clearly has other ideas, though, with one of his first moves after striking a deal to take full ownership of the club being to part company with the head coach.
The takeover news came through on Thursday, with Jepson purchasing the Fulton family’s shares in the club, and he is clearly wasting no time in trying to make his mark at Wheldon Road. Jepson, who was on the board last season having purchased a minority stake in December 2023, promised to do everything in his power to deliver excellence to those Tigers fans who have been ‘starved of real success’.
Clearly then the owner feels going into next year with a new voice in the changing room is one of the first steps to delivering that, whether it angers or perplexes the Castleford faithful or not. It’s a move that has provoked frustration, but it’s one that shows Jepson isn’t afraid to make difficult decisions to get what he wants.
It’s his club, his money and he’s perfectly entitled to want to see his man in the dugout as he looks to take the Tigers to the next level and beyond. He’s clearly an ambitious character and there’s a school of thought to suggest that a clean break from what has gone before is the best way to enter a bright new era.
It’s a ruthless, bold and business-like decision that sees Jepson put pressure on himself to make sure his first head coach appointment is the right one.
However, it’s also one that sets the tone of Jepson’s leadership as he sets off in his pursuit of excellence. Indeed, the grass isn’t always greener elsewhere, but it’s the shimmer of silverware that is driving the new Castleford Tigers owner.