Former Leeds Rhinos player says 'I'll pass' on Castleford Tigers coaching job

Tigers are searching for a team boss to succeed Ryan Carr who left the club last month less than a season into a full-time contract. Assistant-coach Luke Robinson took charge of the team for the final weeks of the campaign, but says he doesn’t want the job for the long term.

Australian Ben Walker, a former Leeds Rhinos player, has been strongly linked with the role on a joint-basis with his brother Shane Walker. The pair earned a reputation as two of the most innovative coaches in the sport after leading Ipswich Jets to the Australian second-tier Queensland Cup title 11 years ago.

They spent the 2026 season in charge of another Queensland Cup club, Western Clydesdales and have been linked regularly with jobs in the southern hemisphere NRL and Betfred Super League. However, when contacted by the Yorkshire Evening Post, Ben Walker played down the prospects of him joining Tigers. He admitted “Cas would be an interesting job”, but insisted: “I will more than likely pass on Cas for now.”

Ben Walker, 50, played for Brisbane Broncos, London Broncos and Northern Eagles before signing for Leeds in 2002, scoring 242 points - from 12 tries and 119 goals - in his only season at the club. His son, Sam Walker, was born in Leeds and is now one of Australia’s most highly-rated half-backs in the NRL, playing for Sydney Roosters and making his Queensland State of Origin debut this year.