Castleford Tigers have parted company with head coach Craig Lingard.
The sacking of Andy Last in August last year and interim head coach Danny Ward's decision not to stay on a permanent basis saw Lingard promoted to the top job last October where he helped the Tigers confirm their top-flight status.
With Castleford finishing the season with seven wins from 20 matches and a 10th-placed finish, it wasn't enough for Lingard to keep his job.
In a statement released by Tigers director, Martin Jepson said: "I would like to thank Craig for all his hard work over the past year as Head Coach and in his previous role as Assistant Head Coach. I would like to wish Craig the very best of luck for the future."
Jepson, who only became the majority shareholder at Castleford last week, continued: "This wasn't an easy decision. Craig is a really decent guy and is well liked by our fans but I felt it was time for a different direction and a new voice in the dressing room. The players are due back in a few weeks and I wanted to give a new coach the opportunity to shape pre-season and create a winning culture of his own."
He added: "The search for a new Head Coach is under way and we hope to make an announcement soon."
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