Castleford bring in Luke Robinson as assistant as Ryan Carr's absence continues
Castleford Tigers have brought in former Huddersfield Giants head coach Luke Robinson to assist their coaching staff while head coach Ryan Carr remains away from the club for personal reasons (BBC Sport).
Robinson joins as an assistant coach with immediate effect, the club confirmed on 13 August (TotalRL). The move comes with Carr having already missed Castleford's home defeat by Hull KR and the club confirming he will not be at their Friday fixture away at Hull FC (BBC Sport).
Director of Rugby Chris Chester is currently leading the team in Carr's absence. Chester told BBC Radio Leeds that the club are not "actively" looking for a replacement, saying a process regarding Carr's future is being followed and the club are hopeful it will conclude over the weekend or the start of the following week (BBC Sport).
Carr was appointed Castleford head coach on a three-year deal, having previously served as an assistant at NRL side St George Illawarra Dragons. His absence leaves the Betfred Super League — the top division of English rugby league — club navigating a spell without their lead voice on the training ground and in the dugout.
Robinson was sacked as Huddersfield Giants head coach earlier in the season after the team lost their first five Super League fixtures (BBC Sport). Despite his difficult start to the campaign at the John Smith's Stadium, he arrives at Castleford with significant coaching experience and familiarity with the Super League landscape.
Castleford owner Martin Jepson moved to clarify that Robinson is not being lined up as a replacement for Carr. In the club statement announcing the appointment, Jepson said Robinson would not be taking on the head coach role (BBC Sport). He also apologised to supporters in the same statement (TotalRL).
The Tigers' next home match is against Catalans Dragons on Friday 28 August (castlefordtigers.com). Whether Carr is back in the dugout by then may depend on how quickly the ongoing process reaches its conclusion. In the meantime, Chester and Robinson will prepare the squad for the trip to Hull FC this Friday.
For fans, the message from the club is one of patience. The coaching structure is being held in place rather than overhauled, and the priority is getting through the next two fixtures with a settled setup behind the players.
