Ryan Carr insists choppy waters won't blow Castleford Tigers off course

The Tigers have endured another frustratingly inconsistent campaign under the Australian, typified by the comedown against 12-man Wakefield Trinity following a thrilling victory over Leeds Rhinos.

Castleford, who sit 10th in Super League with seven wins and 13 defeats, are in the familiar position of needing a response when Warrington Wolves visit Wheldon Road on Saturday.

"We've had a few bad days this year so it's not the first time we've had to address a day we're disappointed with," said Carr.

"We understand the reasons why – a bit of mentality and a bit of physicality. We know internally what we need to fix.

"We've just got to get over it as quickly as we can because that's the world we live in. It's another week and there's another game.

"If we keep working hard, we'll get what we deserve. We're copping some knocks now, which happens, but we're not going to waver off course, that's for sure."

Castleford's chronic inconsistencies predate Carr's arrival at the end of last year.

The Tigers have not reached the play-offs since 2019 and went the best part of two years without back-to-back wins before Carr's side ended the long wait in May.

Carr is a self-confessed winner but his competitive streak is tempered by a realism that he believes is vital to navigating Castleford's current situation.

"I want to win everything I do," he said.

"When I wake up in the morning and my kids want to race me to the door, I'll race them to the door and want to beat them. That's what competitors do but you've got to understand that you can only do your best in a given situation.

"We're going to do our best on Saturday. We want to win it and expect to win it.

"We're working hard as a club to change our own expectations of ourselves. Instead of just being okay with something, we expect to be the absolute best version of ourselves every day.

"The culture has been good and the players have been working hard. I can't fault anyone for not working hard during the week. There hasn't been a week where I've felt we haven't had a go and aren't all in.

"When things don't go great and we get injuries or calls go against us, we need to fight even harder to turn it back. That's something that takes a bit of time to fix."

Castleford have seven rounds to end another challenging season on a high.

For Carr, the run-in also offers an opportunity to discover who wants to stay on the journey.

"That's how I see it," said the Tigers boss, who is set to welcome the likes of Damien Cook and Tyrell Sloan to the club in the off-season.

"It's an opportunity for whoever is running out there to be the best version of themselves. That's what we get paid to do – perform on game day.

"It's a good opportunity for a lot of people. There are some people who are learning hard lessons that they'll be better for.

"All we can do is stick to our plans and control what we can control. We're doing that as best as we can as a club.

"We've just got to make sure we stay on course."