The Tigers sit 10th in Super League with breathing room below, yet remain a distance from the play-off pack.
But while the league table tells a familiar story, there is a quiet sense of momentum building behind the scenes at Wheldon Road.
With the long-awaited stadium redevelopment still in the works, new owner Martin Jepson is making the most of what he has.
The changing rooms and players’ lounge have been refurbished, while the off-field staff are now housed under one roof in new offices.
For the first time, the club have a full-time chef to provide the playing squad with the fuel they need to perform on game day.
It has not quite clicked yet – at least not consistently – but no effort is being spared in the bid to turn Castleford’s fortunes around.
“Part of the problem I’ve had to deal with is having to balance how much effort I put into sorting the off-field side of the club,” said Jepson.
“All the fans want to see a winning side. I get that because I want to see a winning side. But people don’t understand the enormity of the work that was required off the field.
“Jon Wells said in commentary at the weekend that more work has happened at the club in the last 18 months than the last 40 years. That tells you the lack of investment that has been at the club.
“We’re trying to provide a better environment for staff and players, admittedly within facilities that have limitations. That’s what fans don’t see unless you look beneath the surface.
“Next year will be a much better perspective of where we’re moving to as a club. Bringing Chris Chester in is a huge appointment. He’s probably our biggest signing.
“He brings a fresh perspective and allows Danny Wilson to move into a more strategic role. We’re trying to get the club into a position where it settles down.”
As part of the recent reshuffle that saw Chester take on the role of director of rugby, Wilson has stepped up as the club’s new chief executive, much to the bewilderment of some supporters.
The former England Academy head coach has borne the brunt of the fans’ frustrations but his efforts in challenging circumstances have not gone unnoticed by Jepson.
“He is maligned but sometimes from a point of ignorance or lack of information,” said Jepson. “That’s probably as much our fault as anybody else’s fault.
“Danny works every hour God sends for this club and has had to cover every base. He’s been acting chief executive, a director of rugby and in charge of the academy all at once.
“The reality is he would have got close to breaking point had we continued. My job is to look at the individuals at the club and work out a) do they have a long-term value at the club and b) where do they best fit.
“Danny has always had a desire to go down a more managerial route. He’s new to the role but I’ll put the support networks around him to make sure I give him every opportunity to succeed.
“I think he’s well suited to that role and is very open where Chris Chester is concerned. He hopes he moves that side of the club beyond where he could take it.”
One of Wilson’s biggest challenges during his time as director of rugby was attracting high-calibre players in a competitive market.
But in Chester, Castleford have brought in a proven operator with a sharp eye for talent and the pulling power to match.
During his time at Leigh Leopards, Chester built a side that punched above their weight, using his recruitment nous to identify undervalued players and convince them to buy into a long-term vision.
Now, with the right backing, the Tigers are banking on Chester to work his recruitment magic at Wheldon Road.
“We won’t baulk at meeting the salary cap if the right players are available,” said Jepson, who remains in talks with potential investors. “What we won’t do is spend money for the sake of it. We might have done that a little bit in the past.
“What I inherited was a squad built towards a certain budget and even when you increase that budget, you’ve still got players who fitted into the previous budget on contracts that may still have a year or two to run. Unless you want to get involved in detailed negotiations and pay-offs, it’s not an overnight fix to turn things around.
“What we have to do in the short term is be smart about the people we bring in. Nobody saw us bringing Tom Amone in.
“Hopefully bringing someone like Tom Amone in shows our ambition. The important thing is that when he leaves at the end of the season, we replace him with someone of a similar or better stature. That in itself shows the direction of travel.
“We want to be challenging for the play-offs long-term; we don’t want to be sat at the bottom of the table every year.”
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