Castleford Tigers issue new Ryan Carr statement as ex-Super League coach drafted in
Castleford Tigers have issued a new statement as the saga surrounding the future of coach Ryan Carr rumbles on.
The statement, signed by Tigers owner Martin Jepson, confirms former Huddersfield Giants boss Luke Robinson has been drafted into support the backroom team and Carr will not be at tomorrow’s (Friday) game away to Hull FC. Speaking at Castleford’s weekly press conference today, director of rugby Chris Chester declined to confirm if Carr has been suspended, insisting he is absent for “personal reasons”.
Carr, appointed in pre-season on a three-year deal, didn’t attend last week’s 44-0 home loss to Hull KR. Chester stressed Tigers are not actively looking for a new head-coach and revealed Carr’s situation could be resolved by early next week.
The statement in full said: “Castleford Tigers RLFC can confirm that head-coach Ryan Carr will not be in attendance at the Hull FC game tomorrow. On behalf of myself and the board of directors, we apologise to all of our fans for the lack of communication regarding this delicate situation, it is highly frustrating for all concerned and we will share information as and when we are able to do so.
“To support our efforts on the field, we can confirm that Luke Robinson will join Castleford Tigers as an assistant coach with immediate effect. The former Huddersfield player and coach brings a wealth of experience and will support our efforts going forward. For the record, we can confirm that Luke will not be joining as the head-coach and we welcome him on board.
“We are working really hard in the background to try and finish the season on a high, we have had to deal with a lot of diversity [adversity?] alongside a difficult season to date. To add to this, our CEO Danny Wilson has been seriously ill in hospital for the last three weeks.
“Danny leads multiple areas of our business, and this unfortunate position has left a huge hole in our team. We are all supporting Danny and his family and wish him a speedy recovery.
“As the chairman and a board of directors, we are united in our approach and we have the club’s best interests at heart. Can I please ask that all of our fans get behind our coaches, players and staff and support this great club.”