Tigers chief Powell aiming high
DARYL POWELL says he will be ‘massively motivated’ to lead Castleford to an elusive Grand Final triumph in his farewell season with the club.
The 55-year-old Powell, who is Super League’s longest serving coach, says the time is right after announcing he will end his eight-year tenure with the Tigers at the end of the 2021 season.
The news comes in the wake of Warrington’s announcement that head coach, Steve Price, will leave the club at the end of the season and Powell will inevitably be linked with that vacancy.
However, Wolves say they have yet to begin interviews and Powell insists he is solely focused on ending his time with his home-town club on a high.
Castleford were struggling near the foot of the table when Powell left his job at neighbouring Featherstone to succeed Ian Millward in May 2013 and quickly turned around their fortunes.
He guided them to Wembley in his first full season and masterminded a League Leaders’ Shield triumph in 2017.
The Tigers failed to make the playoffs in 2020 and that will add to Powell’s desire to finish the job he started.
“This is my eighth full season in charge which for a coach is a long time and towards the end of last season, I sat down with (chairman) Ian Fulton and explained what I wanted to do,” he said.
“For both me and the club, it is the right time. I want to finish what has been an unbelievably great time for me at Castleford in a positive way.
“I am massively motivated this year. I have loved being a part of the club’s history and helping players to grow and develop and I would really love to finish off with a Grand Final win.”