LEIGH LEOPARDS’ new signing David Armstrong is being backed to rival Wigan Warriors star Bevan French as Super League’s best by owner Derek Beaumont.
Armstrong, who scored five tries in five appearances for the Newcastle Knights prior to his move to Leigh, is just 23 years old.
But, already, there is considerable pressure on the livewire with Beaumont backing him to surpass French’s feats in Super League.
“I rate Bevan French in Super League at the moment, without doubt, the best player,” Beaumont said on the Super League Raw podcast.
“I think he should be the face of it, we should really be championing it, we should be showing things.
“We look too many times for reasons not to give tries or to hold things back. We should be absolutely all over everything the guy does. So I would say right now, he’s up there.
“I think we’re bringing in a player next year in David Armstrong that is going to rival and challenge for that.
“Now that puts a lot of pressure on that guy and the people with their ears pricked up thinking ‘what are you actually saying?’
“But, look at what the guy’s done in the NRL with hat-tricks and length-of-the-field tries against quality opposition like he will face over here.”
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