Castleford Tigers boss explains decision to drop Liam Horne after “disappointing” Hull FC defeat

Castleford Tigers head coach Danny McGuire spoke after his side’s “disappointing” 24-14 loss to Hull FC to discuss a number of things, including why he dropped star man Liam Horne.

Horne was the standout performer for Castleford last year with the Papua New Guinean international earning Player of the Year honours for the Tigers and serving as one of the few bright sparks in an otherwise poor season.

He also earned himself international honours, representing PNG alongside several other Castleford players but it was Horne who was omitted from the squad last night.

Having left out Joe Westerman due to illness in Round Five, Danny McGuire opted to leave out Liam Horne against Hull FC and he confirmed post-match that the decision was purely tactical.

“Liam, I just felt like there were other players that probably deserved an opportunity,” McGuire admitted to the media post-match, before going on to explain why.

Castleford Tigers boss explains decision to drop Liam Horne

McGuire reasoned: “He’s probably not started the season as well as we would have liked and, by his own admission, has been a bit erratic and a little bit loose,” adding: “It was a tactical decision really.”

He also conceded that it may not have been the right call, noting: “Whether it was the right one or not, I’m not sure because the players that came in didn’t really step up and prove that they were the right ones.

“He’ll be available for selection for the next game and we probably missed a little bit of his energy out there.”

Based on the showing against Hull FC, you’d imagine it likely that Horne is back in the fray for Round Seven when Castleford take on Leigh Leopards in another home game for the Tigers.

Whether the fans turn out in force after two poor home performances is another question and McGuire himself was very critical of his side, in particular the fact that they seemed to begin playing in the final ten minutes when the game was already over.

“I didn’t think it were a great game and I thought we were poor for the majority of the game,” he argued, adding: “We found a bit of energy at the back end of the game which is disappointing as I wanted it from minute one.

“It’s a bit of a cop out when they find it at 75 minutes and sends a poor message.”

Danny McGuire’s “harsh words” as Castleford lose to Hull FC

He had earlier admitted to Sky Sports’ Jenna Brooks that the late resurgence actually annoyed him ‘even more’, but his press conference comments were just as scathing as he accused his side of being unwilling to “do the tough stuff”.

McGuire explained: “Hull were comfortable and then we decide to start throwing the ball around a bit, find some energy and get back behind the ball, all the stuff you need to do for all the game if you’re going to be successful.

“We’re just not prepared to do the tough stuff at the moment. I’m delivering harsh words but we just don’t seem to be learning. Players are making the same mistakes week after week after week.”

He added: “I get that we’ve got a group that are younger and inexperienced but at some point, we’ve got to learn and understand that we’re letting each other down with some of the decisions and discipline we’re showing.”

Of those players who control a game, two of Castleford’s spine are new overseas recruits whilst Rowan Milnes has missed much of the season. By contrast, Hull FC were able to rely on the experience of their three pivots Jordan Rapana, Aidan Sezer and John Asiata with McGuire conceding that “experience” is necessary.

He said: “You need that experience, I actually don’t think Hull are playing that well to be honest with you but they’re finding a way. They’ve got some confidence and they’re scrambling for each other.”

As for Castleford, they were erratic and failed to end sets well which is something McGuire will be keen to sharpen before Leigh visit the Tigers next week.