Eagles coach Lingard prepares for new campaign
Sheffield Eagles Head Coach Craig Lingard is already looking ahead to the upcoming Betfred Championship campaign as he prepares for his second season leading the South Yorkshire side.
The former Batley Bulldogs boss returned to the Championship last December after a year in charge of Super League outfit Castleford Tigers. His first season with the Eagles proved challenging, with the team finishing 11th in the league, but they ended the campaign on a high, ending a ten-game winless run with consecutive victories in their final two matches.
In the three weeks since the 2025 season’s conclusion, Lingard has been hard at work shaping his squad for 2026, securing key player retentions for the upcoming season.
The standout news came last weekend as club captain Joel Farrell signed a new three-year deal, which will see the former Huddersfield Giants, Dewsbury Rams, and Batley Bulldogs player enter his eighth season with the Eagles. Since joining the club in 2019, the 31-year-old has made 131 appearances and scored 43 tries, a tally he will be looking to increase through to the end of the 2028 campaign.
Another key re-signing is full-back Matty Marsh, who has penned a new two-year deal. The former York Knights player joined the Eagles ahead of the 2024 season and quickly established himself as a vital part of the squad, scoring 21 tries in 38 appearances over the past two seasons. Marsh enjoyed a standout debut season in 2024, finishing as joint-top scorer with 19 tries. Despite an injury-hit 2025 campaign limiting him to nine appearances, the 30-year-old returned strongly to reclaim his starting spot for the final four fixtures of the season.
Forward Blake Broadbent has also extended his stay with a two-year deal, taking him into his ninth season with the club, whilst winger Ryan Millar has signed a new one-year contract, marking his tenth season in Eagles colours following a return for a second spell ahead of the 2024 campaign.
Additionally, one-year deals have been handed out to Masi Matongo, Jack Bussey, and Will Oakes. All three joined the Eagles during a challenging 2025 season, and their new contracts will help Lingard continue to build his squad as he looks towards the new year.