Derek Beaumont provides update on Leigh situation
Leigh owner Derek Beaumont has provided a club update, including the recruitment of two overseas players.
Leigh, who were awarded promotion for the 2021 season, currently sit at the bottom of the Super League table without a win, and Beaumont has provided an insight into the struggles of player transfers due to ongoing Covid-19 issues.
“Recruitment has been almost impossible despite funds available, both from within the club and from me personally,” he wrote.
“With Covid and significant injury lists across the game, clubs are understandably not trading, even turning down offers in excess of £50,000 for players. Overseas players have no interest in coming to England given the picture our country has painted of itself internationally during the pandemic. With money and spots available we have been unable to add to our squad and even when undertaking business with another Super League club we didn’t quite achieve what was intended or agreed. However, we have not given in and nor will we.”
Despite their record in the 2021 season, Beaumont clearly remains positive about the campaign ahead, even if they do remain favourites for relegation as things currently stand.
He added: “In Kurt Haggerty we have a young coach giving his all. We have players putting their bodies on the line in training and on the field. Kurt has yet to be able to choose a team; it has always chosen itself by the bodies left available. Despite this, our players have ripped in and turned up for games with no middles on the bench and given their all for each other and the club and I have the utmost respect for them for that.”
Leigh recently loaned out duo Nathan Peats and Nathaniel Peteru to league rivals Huddersfield, while gaining prop Jack Ashworth, opening two quota spots in which a pair of NRL players will be announced shortly, Beaumont confirmed.
“I can tell you we are heading in the direction of being a sustainable Super League club. This will not be deviated from whatever the landscape presents,” he wrote.
“I have a strong candidate for head of rugby to lead our recruitment and youth development for which we still have a strong vision.
“I have a strong general manager to set and drive standards, with an excellent track record in the game. Both cannot be announced at this time.
“There will be an announcement today of an addition to the operational board that will speak for itself.
“There have been two players secured from the NRL that will be announced as soon as it’s appropriate to do so, which I had hoped would have been today.
“There will be more additions as we achieve them, and we are recruiting for next year on the basis that we are a Super League club. We will not place all our hopes on relegation being removed. I do not support that at the expense of promotion and, even if that was the case, which it isn’t, I would still invest and do everything possible to finish above 12th spot.”
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