Castleford Tigers’ new assistant Dane Dorahy: ‘If we keep working hard during the week, I’m sure the results will come’

New Castleford Tigers assistant coach Dane Dorahy has spoken for the first time after joining the club last week, confident that the results will come if he and Danny Ward are able to create a positive environment around the club.

Australian Dorahy, who played in this country for various clubs over the course of his own career, was recruited by incoming boss Ward with the pair joining Cas for the remainder of the 2023 season as they look to beat the drop in Super League.

The former utility back made the trip from down under over the weekend, flying 36 hours, and today was his first with the Tigers at the Jungle.

Dane Dorahy explains plans for Cas survival bid

Speaking to the club’s ‘Tigers TV’, the new assistant discussed his excitement for six weeks or so that lie ahead.

He said: “We need to come in here and make it fun for the guys. They’ve had a pretty rough season so far, so we need to come in here and make a few subtle changes, but try to get the best out of these guys.

“It’s a very talented group that we’ve got, for some reason or other they haven’t been able to execute that out on the pitch so far, but it’s up to us to go and get that out of them.

“I’ve been brought in here to help Danny look after the attack. We’ve had good chats and meetings with the boys today, and the senior players in particular. We’re all on the same page.

“With the ability that they have, all they need is the attention to detail and a few subtle changes to what they’ve been doing to hopefully get the results we want.

“Making sure everyone’s on board and everyone knows their role is important, making sure as a group we are all setting high standards and sticking to that. If we keep working hard during the week, I’m sure the results will come.”

Dorahy preparing to face former club Wakefield in crunch clash

Ward and Dorahy link up with the Tigers ahead of the biggest match of their season. They travel to Belle Vue on Friday night, taking on Wakefield Trinity live in front of the Sky Sports cameras.

Both teams are currently locked together on eight points at the bottom of the Super League table, and it now looks inevitable that it will be one of those two who are relegated come the end of the year.

Dorahy spent time with Wakefield in his own career, making 18 appearances between 2000 and 2001. He recognises the significance of a victory against his former club come Friday.

The Australian added: “It’s a massive game. I had a great time at Wakefield, but I know what a relegation battle looks like and I’ve been in one before.

“Wakefield know what it looks like too, so it’s up to us now to get the best out of these guys, take a step in the right direction this week.

“It’s not brand new to me, I’ve lived here 12 years on and off since I was a kid. To come back as a coach now is exciting. I’ve been in a few systems at home. I started at Wests Tigers and had a couple of years there, then I’ve been an assistant at St George Illawarra in reserve grade, worked my way through South Sydney [Rabbitohs], learning my trade a little bit better.

“I’m excited to see what I can bring to this playing group here with my detail and knowledge. I just hope what I can bring to this group at this stage is enough to keep them in Super League.”

Castleford had enquired about Danny Ward before appointing Andy Last

The 45-year-old is the son of John Dorahy, who played for Leigh, Hull KR and Halifax before going into coaching with Fax and eventually also heading up both Wigan and Warrington.

Dorahy junior also represented Hull KR and Yorkshire outfit Fax, with this his first steps into coaching in England. Nonetheless, he’s delighted to be back in the country, and admitted the move may even have come earlier than it has.

The incoming assistant at the Jungle confirmed: “I saw there was interest earlier on in the year, and conversations had been ongoing from there. They ran with Andy Last as the last appointment, and unfortunately probably haven’t had the results that they’d expect or want.

“The next minute, they reached out to both Danny and myself. We’re excited by the opportunity, he’s a previous player here so he knows what it’s like to be here.

“This is my first time here, I know what the club’s about and I know a lot of people that have played here previously, I’ve just reached out to Dale Fritz who I’m friendly with and showed him his heritage number on the board.

“Driving back across the motorway and back to Cas, I was doing a bit of reminiscing through towns that I’ve lived at whether it was as a young man following my dad around in his career or whether it was when I was a player myself.”

“It’s a great place to be, a really good atmosphere to be at when the ground is full, and I’m really excited to see what we can achieve with this group of players over the next six weeks or so.”

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