WIND the clock back a year and Leigh were the Centurions, battling it out in the Championship in a bid to make Super League in 2023.
They did just that, casting aside all promotion rivals whilst signing the likes of Edwin Ipape, Blake Ferguson and Lachlan Lam along the way.
In doing so, owner Derek Beaumont and head of rugby Chris Chester have provided the tools for head coach Adrian Lam to build a side capable of not just staying in Super League at the fourth time of asking, but thriving in it.
Leigh currently sit inside the top six play-offs with a Challenge Cup semi-final on the horizon, and, because of that success, Beaumont has explained that they are now able to compete amongst the big boys in terms of recruitment.
“We’ve already pretty much nailed some signings that have not been announced yet because it’s not the right thing to do,” Beaumont said on The Last Tackle podcast.
“But they are players that are young, good players that top sides were in for. We are competing with Wigan and Saints for players.
“In the past when we’ve been at the bottom it’s bene a bit unstable and players were edgy (about joining). They all want to win things and they see that.
“Opposition players are coming up to me at the end of the game and saying ‘wow what an event, it was like being in a final’ and that makes it easier.
“Sitting in the top six, you are not saying ‘this is what we are going to do’, you are saying ‘this is what we are doing’.”
The Leopards have already signed Frankie Halton midway through this season with the likes of Huddersfield Giants forward Owen Trout also thought to be joining Leigh.
