Chris Chester on Ryan Carr and Castleford Tigers recruitment plan

Castleford Tigers’ director of rugby Chris Chester addressed the media in the aftermath of their 44-0 defeat to Hull KR, a result overshadowed by the ongoing saga surrounding the absence of their head coach, Ryan Carr.

Here’s all the main points from that press conference after a bizarre night at OneBore Stadium.

When will the Ryan Carr situation be resolved

Chester said he was in the dark on that, suggesting it was a decision for people above him at the club, though he did appear to suggest that those placed in charge during Carr’s absence would continue into next week.

“I don’t know. I’ve just got to make sure that these guys are ready next Friday night.

“The coaching staff have taken the rest of the week. The rest of the coaching staff will take the sessions next week. I’ll just be the guy that fronts up in the media.

“We know we’ve got to be better. We know next week’s going to be a big game for us. We’ve just got to be the best version of ourselves next week.”

He continued: “We just talked there about you’ve got to have some pride in the shirt. We’ve got to be better individually, but we’ve also got to be better collectively.

“I’m responsible as much as anybody else is. Through these difficult times, you need your senior guys to really step up. Like I said, we’ve got an important game next Friday.”

Fan frustrations

A section of the fanbase made their feelings clear all evening, cheering in support of Carr while also booing their own players when they touched the ball. That fact was not lost on Chester, who acknowledged those jeers.

“There’s one guy out there that got booed for his first carry and continually got booed. We don’t want to hear that. That does nothing for anybody’s confidence. I’m disappointed with that.”

Asked how that gap between the players and the fans can be bridged, Chester said: “I just think we need some clarity. Once we get some clarity, we can all come together. The fans pay the hard-earned money every single week.

“They’re entitled to their opinions, but we’re also entitled to our opinions. We have to be better. We have to do better. At the moment, we’re not playing well enough. We’ve not been good enough tonight for that last 40 minutes. Next week, we need to be an 80-minute team.”

Chester was pressed again on when that clarity may arrive and he said: “Listen, it’s a little bit above me. Everybody needs some clarity.

“The players, the staff, the fans. My job is just to focus on next week’s game. Hopefully, we can potentially get a couple of bodies back. But yeah, I think there needs to be some kind of resolution. Fingers crossed that happens sooner rather than later.”

Danny Brough

The former Super League Man of Steel was a notable presence in the coaching box alongside Chester and Adrian Vowles, something that did not go unnoticed.

Chester insists there is nothing to read into that, though.

“He just asked if he could come and shadow. Broughy is a smart guy. He’s a good coach. He did a really good job at Huddersfield Rugby Union.

He’s just a friend that wanted to come and shadow and have a look at what it looks like at the other side of the fence. There’s not a great deal in it, to be honest. He’s also my next-door neighbour. He’s come to quite a lot of games. There’s no headline there for anybody.

“He’s just a passionate rugby player. I wish he were out there today playing for us.”

Recruitment plans

Chester’s official role at the club is director of rugby, and with that, he fielded a string of questions on plans moving forward.

He started by insisting that Carr’s future would not have an impact on players coming to the club, while also admitting that recruitment this season had not hit the required standards.

“I’ve had some good discussions with the agents of the players that we’ve signed for next year,” he said. “There’s nobody getting cold feet. We want those guys to be here next year, and I’m fairly confident that they are going to be here. Like every club, there’s going to be players that leave. There’s going to be players that are contracted that maybe need to leave.

“There’s lots to do. I’ve got to hold my hands up quite a bit here. In terms of recruitment, I think I’ve made some wrong decisions, but you live and die by those decisions, and I’m man enough to admit that I’ve got quite a bit wrong this year. Hopefully, we as a club can turn things around, and I’m fairly confident for 27 we can do.”

Asked if he could put a number on the amount of new recruits he expected to sign beyond those already secured, he added: “It’s a tough one, mate. I can’t really put a number. We’ve identified very early doors.

“We lack size, and I think teams are steamrolling us through the middle of the field, so we are looking at potentially some bigger bodies. It’s a daily thing, really. We probably need to freshen up another three or four on top of what we’ve already brought in.”