LIKE Barrow Raiders 12 months earlier, Leigh Leopards found themselves promoted to Super League knowing little of what to expect from the step up.

Coach Kieron Purtill kept faith in most of the squad that earned promotion, with most of the players new to this level, but they adapted quickly and played some good rugby against those teams at a similar sort of level to them. Unfortunately, games against the top four teams got away from them quite quickly, and it is likely to be a similar story this season.

Keli Morris, who helped create a bit of history in June when she and Leah became the first mother-and-daughter combination to play alongside each other in Super League, has retired, as has Claire Mullaney, but their departure has been softened by the return of Mairead Quinn, who missed the whole of last year due to her pregnancy.

Purtill has also moved on, with experienced local coaches Nigel Johnson and Paul Arnison taking over. They have made their own tweaks to the side, picking up a few players from Warrington to add to their numbers, but remain focused on continuing the job Purtill started, rather than starting their own journey.

ONE TO WATCH…

MAIREAD QUINN, a Leigh girl through and through, returns to the squad for 2026 after missing all of last year due to becoming a first-time mum. As one of the most experienced members of the team that earned promotion in a play-off game against Super League side Featherstone at the end of 2025, Leigh likely missed her voice in the dressing room as they made the step up to Super League last year. But her return should give them a major lift in what could prove to be a tough Super League campaign.

COACH’S CORNER with England head coach Stuart Barrow

LEIGH’s 20-8 loss to Championship side London Broncos in the Challenge Cup will have given the side some early focus and some questions to ask. That’s the beauty of these Challenge Cup games coming so early in the season — it gives teams lessons to learn and areas to work on before you start the season.

Again, with new coaches coming in, they’ll be looking to stamp their authority on the team and put their own ideas across, as well as building on what the club did last year.

The challenge for Leigh this year will be to learn the lessons from last year regarding staying in the game for longer and being more consistent over longer periods.

Squad: 1 Hattie Dogus, 2 Toryn Blackwood, 3 Nicole Barnett, 4 Mollie Young, 5 Rebecca Greenfield, 6 Rhianna Burke, 7 Leah Morris, 8 Eleanor Dainty, 9 Kate Howard, 10 Mairead Quinn, 11 Emily Baggaley, 12 Charlotte Melvin, 13 Storm Cobain, 14 Abi Gordon, 15 Alice Fisher, 16 Lucy Johnson, 17 Macy McDermott, 18 Isabelle Malyon, 19 Libby Wall, 20 Becky Webb, 21 Olivia Hill, 22 Millie Bell, 23 Albany-D Coates

RLW predicts: 8th

First published in Rugby League World magazine, Issue 520 (May 2026)