Former Cronulla Sharks head coach John Morris is reportedly one of the names in contention to take charge at Castleford Tigers, whose hunt for a new boss continues following the exit of Ryan Carr.

The Tigers are looking for an eighth head coach since the departure of Daryl Powell at the end of the 2021 season, with Lee Radford, Andy Last, Danny Ward (interim), Craig Lingard, Danny McGuire, Chris Chester (interim) and Ryan Carr all having had a crack at making it work in Castleford.

You could argue that some weren’t given enough time and many believed that Ryan Carr was the man to turn matters around, however, he departed amid what the club dubbed ‘personal reasons’, leaving Castleford without a coach once again.

Paul Rowley has been touted for the role whilst the Walker brothers, Ben and Shane, have also been linked but Ben Walker ruled the pair out when speaking to Serious About Rugby League’s sister site, The Yorkshire Evening Post.

Now, a new overseas option in John Morris has emerged, per a report from Zero Tackle.

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Castleford Tigers’ head coach hunt heats up

Morris is fresh out of a job having left his role as the assistant coach of Wests Tigers earlier this month after three seasons at the club that he’d previously spent three years as a player.

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A veteran of 300 NRL matches, Morris is a highly-respected coach and was head coach at Cronulla from 2019 through early 2021, taking on a role as assistant at South Sydney Rabbitohs before joining Wests.

That experience would make him a prime candidate for a head coach gig in Super League and according to Zero Tackle’s report, he is ‘firmly in contention’ for the role.

The report also references three more coaches, one of whom is Paul Rowley, as well as Leeds’ assistant Jamie Langley and Canberra assistant Eric Smith – with all four men reportedly shortlisted.

Castleford have stated previously their intent to appoint a coach in time for pre-season, which for most Super League clubs is starting in early November, just over five weeks away.