Leigh Centurions coach Neil Jukes heaped praise on his staff, the club’s fans and also owner Derek Beaumont for his support after they beat local rivals Wigan on Thursday night.
Not since 1984 have the Centurions beaten their great rivals in a competitive fixture – but that hoodoo was finally put to bed on Thursday after Leigh’s 50-34 win: a result which moves them off the bottom of Super League in the process.
And Jukes admitted while it has been a “tough period” for his side, he was delighted with how everyone at the club has stood up to it.
He said: “I am really pleased. Even through this tough period, the guys have been turning up for each other every week though results might suggest they don’t.
“They are a good team, a tough team and they work hard. We have not been far off in recent weeks with the ball in hand in particular. We showed a really good mentality and we got rid of a lot of the scruffiness in our game to put an 80-minute performance together.
“The staff have been working incredibly hard in this tough period. Derek Beaumont in particular has been outstanding with me and he has understood the journey we are on. The fans have been brilliant again and I was glad we gave a performance for them.”