LEIGH LEOPARDS owner Derek Beaumont has explained why the club’s current lack of an academy and reserves side is ‘hampering’ the Lancashire side – with both set to be rectified in the immediate future.
The Leopards won the Challenge Cup and finished fifth in Super League in 2023, but suffered some injuries to their small squad towards the back end of the year as Adrian Lam’s men faltered in the play-offs.
With Leigh unable to call on reserves or academy players, the Leopards couldn’t continue their momentum – with Beaumont explaining why throwing a reserves side together upon promotion to Super League wasn’t possible.
“It’s where we are hampered at the moment. Getting into Super League howe we did in the 2022 season and then to get told last minute we needed a reserves team on our first year of coming in, it just wasn’t attainable without having a serious impact on the amateur game,” Beaumont told Leopards TV.
“It would have been pulling together a team of players from Leigh East, Leigh Miners that weren’t perhaps getting in at Swinton and Oldham.
“It wouldn’t have been representative of our club and it would damage other areas to put in two or three players who would be better served on loan which we did last year.
Beaumont also explained that Leigh have now applied to the RFL for an academy license to take the place of Newcastle Thunder following their withdrawal from League One.
“We were always mindful of the fact it wasn’t a necessity so we needed the team to get to that and we have got to that.
“Recruiting players for that is difficult because without having an academy you don’t benefit from the cap value. Anyone under 23 on less than £30,000 doesn’t count on the cap, we don’t have that under 23 area because we haven’t produced those coming through.
“We have over 23s counting on the cap, we have recruited those who are up-and-coming emerging players that will make up a big part of that.
“There has been a growth and recognition for that. We will have our reserves. Newcastle’s academy license won’t be there going forward.
“We have made a tentative enquiry to push through earlier because we are in a place where we can with an application to take the license that isn’t being used and benefit from that.”
It certainly promises to be a bright future for the Leopards!
Listen to the full interview on Leopards TV here.
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