Featherstone Rovers coach John Duffy is in talks to become the new head coach at Championship rivals Leigh Centurions, TotalRL can exclusively reveal.
Duffy is under contract with Featherstone for 2019 but is interested in taking on the vacant coaching position at Leigh, despite a significant amount of turmoil surrounding the Centurions at the moment.
They are still yet to begin putting a squad together for next season after owner Derek Beaumont began cutting costs following their failure to make the Qualifiers – like Featherstone – this summer.
Beaumont recently revealed that the two full-time players left under contract, Kevin Larroyer and Rhys Evans, would take up around 40 per cent of a potential wage bill for next year if they continue their existing deals with the Centurions.
Yet Duffy, who hails from Wigan and made over 200 appearances for Leigh across three different spells with the club, is keen to return to a coaching position closer to home.
Featherstone are also cutting back next year, and that – plus uncertainty over his own contractual situation moving forward – is understood to have prompted his desire to become coach of Leigh in 2019.
TotalRL understands talks have taken place between Duffy and Leigh, and a deal is close to being completed. In fact, it is understood Duffy was not at the first night of Featherstone’s pre-season training on Monday evening.