Leigh Centurions have beaten Bradford Bulls, Toulouse, London Broncos, York and Featherstone for a place in Super League 2021 after their extensive application impressed the panel who voted unanimously for them
Monday 14 December 2020 19:53, UK
Leigh Centurions have been handed a place in Super League next season after emerging as the unanimous choice of an independent panel.
The 12th and final place in the competition was left vacant by Toronto Wolfpack's unsuccessful bid to re-join last month, having resigned in July citing financial concerns.
Leigh beat five rivals - Toulouse, London, Bradford, York and Featherstone - to get the nod and Terry O'Connor says they will bring plenty to the competition.
"I played their a number of times with Wigan and I hated going there - the fans are so passionate it was incredible," said O'Connor.
"Standing on that back line a couple of metres away from them was not the best place to be!
"They will bring an energy, a passion and that underdog spirit that you want! It will be difficult for them - they will only get £1m while the other teams will be getting £1.8m, so they will be behind the eight ball.
"We will get a lot of passion, a lot of drama and a lot of column inches from Leigh Centurions."
While the city of Leigh will be celebrating the news, there were commiserations for the five teams that lost out: "I was so impressed with all the five candidates and it went down to the wire. I know that fans and club owners and players from the other teams are going to be really disheartened," added O'Connor.
"I have been there - back in 2008 when Widnes missed out and then in 2012 when they got in. I have been on both sides of the fence.
"All I will say to the teams that did miss out, is that what a Championship it is going to be in with those five teams plus the others who will all be competing for a place in Super League in 2022.
"Was I surprised that Leigh were the team that were going up? Probably not - deep down in my heart I knew they were the team everyone had to beat to get there - in terms of players and the money they had behind them. They also had the stand, the infrastructure around them with the amateur clubs as well as the fan base."
Leigh's last taste of Super League action was back in 2017 when their campaign ended in relegation after losing to Catalans Dragons in the Million Pound Game - although that year did include them beating the previous year's Grand Finalists Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves at Leigh Sports Village, as well as St Helens.
"The last time Leigh were in Super League in they did not acquit themselves very well and they will be the first to admit that," said O'Connor.
"What they have done since then, is be very consistent with their performances and they have built well for 2021 even if they did not know they would be in Super League. What they need to do is to go out now and get the right signings that will help them consolidate.
"It will take an enormous effort as they are just building - they have got a really strong amateur system and they also have a wealthy owner who is willing to throw the cash around.
"They will suffer some defeats, but they will have some decent wins as well."
