LEIGH owner Derek Beaumont was last involved directly with the Championship in 2022, the season his side won the 1895 Cup and gained promotion to Super League.
But, through his company AB Sundecks, he is still happy to continue with his sponsorship of the knockout competition aimed at Championship and League One clubs.
“This is season five for us sponsoring the 1895 Cup,” Beaumont told League Express at Friday’s launch of the competition in Wakefield.
“It just appealed to me to have a competition the big boys weren’t involved in. And if there was, and we were involved in it, there would be every chance that we’d be walking out at Wembley.”
That happened, although ironically Leigh won the trophy at Tottenham, rather than Wembley in 2022.
And, having done so, and then won the Challenge Cup at Wembley last year, the Leopards created a unique piece of history.
“With winning the Challenge Cup at Wembley last year, before the 1895 Cup Final was played, we actually momentarily held both trophies at the same time, which is unlikely to be repeated,” he said.
“I got a photo of both trophies in the changing room just before Halifax went out and won the 1895 Cup.
“I joke that last year Wigan had the Challenge Cup in their cabinet and we took that off them. This year they have two other trophies, so we will be trying to take them too this year.
“But on a serious note, we would love to retain the Challenge Cup, which would be unbelievable, and we want to improve on last year’s fifth place.
“We ran dry at the end of last year, but we have invested in a stronger squad this year and we still have Adrian (Lam) and we have more consistency.”
Leigh made the rest of the league sit up and take notice with their recent signing of Cronulla stand-off Matt Moylan.
“Lammy has a proven track record of bringing in players who seem to have gone stagnant elsewhere, with Josh Charnley being a great example,” said Beaumont.
“I’m hoping the same happens with Matt, who is absolutely brilliant on and off the field. He is a great guy who gives us a threat on the left as well as the right. We are not just a left-edge threat now and defenders have to be nervous about both sides.”
Last year the Leopards didn’t run a Reserves side, but that will change in 2024, although the club won’t have any dual-registration agreements.
“We have a Reserves side this year and Kieran Purtill deserves a big shout out for that,” said Beaumont.
“He has held trials for a number of weeks and has pulled together a fair number of players who will give us a decent reserve squad.
“We don’t have a dual-registration agreement with anyone because we want to focus on the Reserves, but we will loan players out if it’s in their best interests for them to play at the best level of rugby that suits them.”