Castleford Tigers part company with head coach Craig Lingard

Castleford Tigers have parted company with head coach Craig Lingard.

The sacking of Andy Last in August last year and interim head coach Danny Ward's decision not to stay on a permanent basis saw Lingard promoted to the top job last October where he helped the Tigers confirm their top-flight status.

With Castleford finishing the season with seven wins from 20 matches and a 10th-placed finish, it wasn't enough for Lingard to keep his job.

In a statement released by Tigers director, Martin Jepson said: "I would like to thank Craig for all his hard work over the past year as Head Coach and in his previous role as Assistant Head Coach. I would like to wish Craig the very best of luck for the future."

Jepson, who only became the majority shareholder at Castleford last week, continued: "This wasn't an easy decision. Craig is a really decent guy and is well liked by our fans but I felt it was time for a different direction and a new voice in the dressing room. The players are due back in a few weeks and I wanted to give a new coach the opportunity to shape pre-season and create a winning culture of his own."

He added: "The search for a new Head Coach is under way and we hope to make an announcement soon."