LEIGH LEOPARDS currently sit in second in the Super League table and are in their first Challenge Cup Final for 52 years.
The year was 1971 and Leigh ran out 24-7 winners over Leeds. David Eckersley, Stuart Ferguson and Alex Murphy were the heroes that day.
But, on Saturday, it was the likes of Lachlan Lam, Tom Amone and Zak Hardaker that stood up to be counted as Leigh ran out 12-10 winners over St Helens in the Challenge Cup semi-final at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.
It’s been a truly remarkable rise for a Leigh side that were still named ‘Centurions’ this time last year.
In fact, it wasn’t until October – when the Lancashire club had already secured their Super League status with a brilliant year in the Championship – that Leigh turned into the ‘Leopards’ courtesy of owner Derek Beaumont’s rebrand.
Despite being criticised and often ridiculed for the rebrand, Beaumont stuck by the new ‘Leopards’ moniker, with a new kit and a brand new team aiming to take Super League by storm.
The past three times that Leigh have been promoted to the top flight, they have been demoted the year after – but this year felt different from the start and boy have the Leopards proved people wrong.
New signings Zak Hardaker, Tom Briscoe and Robbie Mulhern have bought into the club and its ethos whilst those who were already at the Leigh Sports Village such as John Asiata, Edwin Ipape, Lachlan Lam, Tom Amone and Josh Charnley have gone from strength to strength.
The Leopards are now the most successful promoted team in the history of Super League and they have taken that success into the Challenge Cup.
In fact, it has been said by a number of people that the Leopards have revitalised both competitions purely because of their energy and enthusiasm to impress and entertain – and long may it continue.
Leigh have truly been a breath of fresh air in 2023 and they – and Beaumont – are an example of what investment and innovative ideas can do in such a short space of time.
