Former Castleford Tigers forward Danny Ward is aiming to steer the club to safety in the final six games of the Betfred Super League season after taking over as head coach; watch the derby clash between Cas and Wakefield Trinity live on Sky Sports Arena tonight
Friday 18 August 2023 15:44, UK
Danny Ward has been here before. As a player, the recently appointed Castleford head coach was involved in the infamous win-or-bust 'Battle of Belle Vue' in 2006 when the loser of the Tigers' game against Wakefield Trinity would be relegated.
Friday's Betfred Super League clash between the two West Yorkshire rivals at what is now officially known as Be Well Support Stadium does not have quite as much riding on it, but with both sides level on points at the bottom of the table and with only five regular-season games to come afterwards, it does hold plenty of significance.
Ward, who was in the Tigers second row that night 17 years ago when a 29-17 defeat to Wakefield saw them drop out of Super League, understands the comparisons. However, he has not been drawing on them ahead of Friday's game, live on Sky Sports.
"There is a lot of talk about that one and being at that game, which looking back on it was a huge one," Ward said. "A couple of the lads have seen repeats of it, which I kind of give a miss because I don't think I'd want to relive it!
"Especially being a derby game, the Cas-Wakey games are always huge and especially when something is on the line like back in '06. I'm sure it will be similar on Friday, it's always a tough place to go and Wakefield have been playing very good at home.
"I don't want to put any extra pressure on the lads. The boys know what size game it is."
Ward has been here before as a coach too. Having guided London Broncos to an unexpected promotion from the Betfred Championship in 2018 in his first head coach role, he then oversaw the club take their improbable survival battle to the final round of the following Super League campaign.
Again, it was Wakefield who landed the final blow to Ward and his team, with a 19-10 loss sending the Broncos back down on points difference from Hull Kingston Rovers after both ended the year on 20 points.
The 43-year-old would eventually leave the Broncos midway through the 2021 season with his reputation enhanced from his time in the capital, and Ward hopes this time he can use those experiences for a positive outcome.
"We're always going to look back and reflect on what went well or what went wrong in previous work, as a player as well," Ward said.
"You take those experiences from anywhere in life, and then talking to lads and other coaches who have been in similar situations.
"You're always picking at bits and the little bits I learnt at London in '19, and you hope it doesn't happen this time."
Ward's return to a head coaching role followed the departure of Andy Last in the immediate aftermath of Castleford's 28-0 defeat at home to Huddersfield Giants two weeks ago, bringing him back to the 13-a-side code in the process.
The former Great Britain international spent the 2022/23 season in rugby union as defence coach for National League One outfit Rosslyn Park, where he embraced being outside the full-time environment and dealing with the different scenarios which crop up when players are only training a couple of times a week and have day-jobs outside of their rugby commitments.
"It was a good club, a good set of coaches and a great bunch of lads there, and you're having to do things a little bit differently because you're in a part-time environment," Ward said.
I don't want to put any extra pressure on the lads. The boys know what size game it is.
"If you do one thing all the time then you're just going to get used to that, whereas putting yourself in difference scenarios and experiences should broaden your knowledge of the game and working with people.
"You've got to build relationships in everything you do and that was the challenge when you're not full-time.
"You don't get to spend as much time with people...so it was a great learning tool, and I loved every minute of it."
Having narrowly missed out on a place in the top six in the final round of the 2022 regular season, Castleford were once again expected to compete for a spot in the Super League play-offs this time around.
However, the Tigers have won just four league games so far this year - one of which was a 16-4 win at home to Wakefield during the Easter Rivals Round - and a fifth-consecutive defeat last time out saw a group of fans refuse to leave the Mend-A-Hose Jungle in protest following the full-time hooter.
Ward has been busy canvassing opinions on what has and has not been working since walking back through the door of his old club two weeks ago, along with watching as much video footage of Castleford's games they have already played as possible.
He has a new-look squad to work with too following the flurry of transfer activity before last month's deadline which included bringing in maverick half-back Blake Austin on loan from Leeds Rhinos, and he could make his Cas bow against Wakefield.
"I've had good, honest conversations with the lads since I've been here and that started on the phone as soon as I got the job," Ward said.
"They're the ones out there, they're the ones playing and training day-to-day, so they'll know best. There are some good players there who have played in successful teams and when Cas have been playing well.
"I've been trying to pick at everyone's thoughts and opinions and watch as much as I can and then just try to get those tweaks in training where we can get a bit of confidence and make a few changes."
Watch Wakefield Trinity against Castleford Tigers in the crucial Round 22 Betfred Super League clash live on Sky Sports Arena from 7.30pm on Friday (8pm kick-off). Also stream Super League, the NRL, NRLW and more on NOW.
