Castleford Tigers have appointed Paul Rowley as their head coach on a three-year contract. Rowley had been out of work since leaving St Helens in July, halfway through his first season in charge. The Tigers had been without a head coach following the departure of Australian Ryan Carr in August for personal reasons.
Castleford finished second bottom in Super League with only eight wins from their 27 games, but received an A score in the IMG ratings released last week. The Tigers will be the third Super League club Rowley has been in charge of after Salford Red Devils and then Saints. He led Salford into the play-offs in 2022 and 2024, playing an exciting style of rugby before severe financial issues took over and he eventually left the club.
Rowley's time at St Helens was hampered by injuries. After an difficult spell, he departed with the club sixth in the table, with Saints eventually missing out on the play-offs. He now moves to West Yorkshire, to a Castleford team who have not reached the play-offs since 2019 and have just seen local rivals Wakefield Trinity win the Grand Final.
"Paul has a proven track record of building competitive teams, developing players and creating an attacking brand of rugby that supporters can get behind," said Castleford director of rugby Chris Chester. "He has a real passion for the game, strong leadership qualities and a clear vision of how he wants his teams to play." Incoming NRL imports Damien Cook, Mat Feagai and Tyrell Sloan, along with Robbie Mulhern, are expected to strengthen the squad, while Rowley's close relationship with Chester from their Halifax days could prove crucial. The 51-year-old's attacking style fits the club's 'Classy Cas' mantra.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing