Castleford Tigers' Danny McGuire makes admission on Hull KR Willie Peters meeting

Ex-Leeds, Robins and Great Britain ace volition instrumentality Tigers to Craven Park successful Super League opening circular aft being axed by KR past year

CASTELFORD brag Danny McGuire takes connected erstwhile nine Hull KR successful his archetypal Super League crippled arsenic a caput manager insisting: “I clasp nary grudges.”

The ex-Leeds and Great Britain ace was an adjunct astatine the Robins past twelvemonth earlier being ruthlessly chopped by caput manager Willie Peters. Rovers went connected to scope a maiden Grand Final and beryllium 1 of the season’s large occurrence stories. McGuire moved to Cas’ to beryllium Craig Lingard’s adjunct but has been promoted to the apical occupation for 2025 aft Lingard was sacked.

The afloat fixture database is announced time and Tigers commencement astatine Craven Park connected February 14. McGuire, who besides finished his decorated playing vocation astatine the Robins successful 2019, said: “I perfectly loved my clip there. It’ll beryllium truly bully to spell back. I’ve inactive got immoderate truly bully friends determination and immoderate of the players I’ve coached.

“It couldn’t person been a amended starting fixture. They were outstanding past play and truthful adjacent to winning the large one. So it’ll beryllium a truly bully situation for america and springiness america an denotation of wherever we’re at.”

And up of their Valentine’s Day showdown, McGuire maintains helium is astatine bid with Peters’ decision. He explained: “Leaving Leeds [in 2017] was astir apt thing I ne'er expected to do. And past leaving Hull KR wasn’t thing I saw ending similar that, either. But athletics is sport. Especially being a caput coach, I bash get it now. I recognize it.

"When you’re a subordinate astatine times, possibly you’re a spot insular and arsenic agelong arsenic you’re alright you don’t look astatine the bigger picture. I spot wherefore decisions are made now. Sometimes it’s the close ones, sometimes it’s the incorrect ones but you person to beryllium brave with them. I’m bully with it. There’s nary grudges.”

Rovers finished bottommost successful 2020 but secured a Super League top-two decorativeness for the archetypal clip this twelvemonth astir secured their archetypal rubric since 1985. Castleford person struggled astatine the incorrect extremity of the array successful caller seasons but present person a caller proprietor successful Martin Jepson. McGuire, who has brought Brett Delaney successful from Rovers arsenic his No2, said: “I accidental Hull KR are the nine astir teams are looking astatine to spot however their paths cross.

“When you look astatine however they’ve improved these past fewer years and however they bash things, it surely gives america confidence. When I went determination to play, to beryllium honest, the nine wasn’t successful a large position. It’d conscionable travel backmost from relegation, it wasn’t a large situation and determination were immoderate players who wanted to beryllium determination but others who weren’t excessively fussed.

“To crook it around, it shows it tin beryllium done with patience, with getting the close radical connected board, the close coaches, with the close imaginativeness it tin beryllium done. We’re trying to bash that astatine Cas and it’s breathtaking here. The caller owner’s travel successful with his plans and I’m excited to beryllium portion of the travel we could perchance spell connected arsenic well.”

McGuire, who volition big St Helens - led by erstwhile Great Britain team-mate Paul Wellens - successful his archetypal Castleford location Super League match, added: “I’m truly enjoying what I’m doing this year. We had immoderate pugnacious times but immoderate bully moments. I’m present loving starring and being successful complaint of the radical [for 2025]. I’m truly enjoying moving with each the unit and players. It volition beryllium a situation - but it’s 1 I’m enjoying.”

Here's the opening 2 rounds of 2025 Betfred Super League with the afloat fixture database revealed connected Thursday greeting astatine 8am (see Mirror Online)

Thurs Feb 13 - Wigan v Leigh 8pm

Fri Feb 14 - Hull KR v Castleford 8pm

Catalans v Hull FC 8pm

Sat Feb 15 - Leeds v Wakefield 3pm

St Helens v Salford 5.30pm

Sun Feb 16 - Huddersfield v Warrington 3pm

Thurs Feb 20 - Warrington v Catalans 8pm

Fri Feb 21 - Warrington v Catalans 8pm

Hull FC v Wigan 8pm

Sat Feb 22 - Salford v Leeds 3pm

Castleford v St Helens 8pm

Sun Feb 23 - Leigh v Huddersfield 3pm