Danny Wilson details steps to make Castleford Tigers a play-off team by end of 2026

To achieve success in sport, a ruthless edge is required.

Castleford Tigers appeared to be on the cusp of something special when they swept aside all before them on their way to the 2017 Grand Final, only to fall away as quickly as they had arrived.

The Tigers drifted to the brink of the Championship before stabilising under Craig Lingard last season.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

An improvement on a modest budget could have been considered a success but Martin Jepson wanted more for Castleford after taking over the club.

His first significant decision was to sack Lingard and replace him with his assistant Danny McGuire, a rookie coach with a glittering playing CV.

To get back to Old Trafford, Jepson – together with director of rugby Danny Wilson – felt the Tigers needed somebody who knows the road as well as anybody.

"I had to have that conversation with Craig which is never easy or nice," said Wilson.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"Craig is a fantastic person, a really loyal bloke and a really sound coach – but when you buy a club, you have to make some changes to change the direction. That was what Martin did and I supported him in that decision.

Castleford are ready to kick on in 2025. (Photo: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com)Castleford are ready to kick on in 2025. (Photo: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com)
Castleford are ready to kick on in 2025. (Photo: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com)

"Danny McGuire has been a revelation in pre-season. That's not to speak negatively of Craig because he's a very good coach and I'm sure he'll have some success at Sheffield.

"But we've got Danny McGuire and Brett Delaney together now who have an abundance of championship rings between them. When you're trying to grow a group of young players and teach them how to be winners, the leaders need to be winners – and we've got that in Danny McGuire and Brett Delaney, to name two coaches in the set-up now.

"From what I've seen in pre-season, although it was a tough decision and a hard conversation personally, it's been the right one.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"One of the biggest changes – and it's quite palpable if you're around training – is the standards Danny McGuire and his team expect."

Danny Wilson has a key role in the rebuild at Wheldon Road. (Photo: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com)Danny Wilson has a key role in the rebuild at Wheldon Road. (Photo: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com)
Danny Wilson has a key role in the rebuild at Wheldon Road. (Photo: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com)

Nobody at Castleford is expecting miracles from McGuire but there is an acceptance that 10th place is not good enough for the club or their loyal fanbase.

While the Tigers are far from the finished article as they build from the ground up, an increased budget and higher-calibre signings have given McGuire something to work with.

"Recruitment for the 2025 season started when we took Tex Hoy on a short-term deal," said Wilson. "We retained him and it was the same with Innes Senior.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"We've brought some quality in over the off-season in Daejarn Asi, Zac Cini, Judah Rimbu and (Jeremiah) Simbiken. They've got to prove themselves at Super League level but we're excited by them.

Craig Lingard, centre, was replaced by Danny McGuire, right, at the end of last season. (Photo: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com)Craig Lingard, centre, was replaced by Danny McGuire, right, at the end of last season. (Photo: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com)
Craig Lingard, centre, was replaced by Danny McGuire, right, at the end of last season. (Photo: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com)

"Every team would say pre-season is going well because you haven't been punched in the face yet but I believe we've got a better squad.

"We've got to be better than last year. The same as last year won't be good enough for us. We've got to improve – and do that in a realistic fashion."

In a league that promises to be as competitive as ever, shooting up the table will be no easy feat.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Should McGuire lead Castleford to the play-offs for the first time in six years, he will have overachieved in his debut season as a head coach.

"If you get more success than you plan for, you'd never turn it down," said Wilson. "But this year we're looking to finish between ninth and seventh.

"If we can snag a play-off spot, happy days and we're overachieving. Anything lower than midtable and we'll be disappointed.

Daejarn Asi is among the new faces at Castleford. (Photo: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com)Daejarn Asi is among the new faces at Castleford. (Photo: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com)
Daejarn Asi is among the new faces at Castleford. (Photo: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com)

"By year three, we're a play-off team."

To execute their three-year plan successfully, the club know they must be aggressive in the recruitment market.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Although they were unsuccessful in their pursuit of Mikolaj Oledzki, the lucrative offer to the Leeds Rhinos prop was an early statement of intent by the Tigers.

"We've got a great academy system that's producing players – and it has to produce players in a salary cap sport," said Wilson.

"We think we've got the foundations of a squad we can build on and now we want to bring in quality.

"We were very aggressive with our offer for Mikolaj but there are not a lot of talented English middles and everybody is in the market for the same ones so sometimes it doesn't matter how aggressive you are. We've got to do other things to attract players to us as well.

"We'll get some and we'll lose some but the biggest thing for us is we want to be at the table when it comes to their final decision."

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

News you can trust since 1754
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice