Big issues looming at Leigh for 2027 – as Leopards risk real regression in Super League

It says a lot about Leigh Leopards’ progression that a play-off exit feels like a flat end to their season.

Leigh bowed out after being well-beaten by Wakefield Trinity on Friday night, bringing an end to their season one round earlier than the previous two.

A fourth-straight play-off appearance is not failure for Leigh. But it is hard to not feel there is a tinge of underwhelming feeling that comes with it.

The bigger issue for Leigh, however, is not what’s happened. It’s what’s happening.

The season has presented some clear holes in Leigh’s team this year. Most notably, within the pack. They have tried to rectify it with mid-season recruits but put simply, one of them was loaned out after a handful of games, the other hooked early in the play-off.

No club ever nails every piece of recruitment and while there’s still time for Lazarus Vaalepu and Jack Ashworth to make their presence felt, it’s clear Leigh need more from them. But much more pressingly, they simply need more players coming through the door.

As it stands, Leigh have six players leaving at the end of the year. That could rise to seven depending on what happens with Matt Davis.

Currently, they have made two signings; one is Kai O’Donnell, a very good signing for any Super League side. The other is teenage hooker Jack Purtill, coming from Wigan’s reserves.

There is, as it stands, nothing else nailed down, and that is a major cause for concern.

A lot of the departures are coming within a pack already clearly in need of reinforcement too. Robbie Mulhern, Owen Trout, Jack Hughes and Isaac Liu are among those departing and Davis could join them.

Leigh’s need for forwards is clear. Joe Ofahengaue gives them clear go-forward; that was again evident as he topped their metre-making department on the night with 178 metres. But beyond that they are lacking, especially next year. The departing Trout and Liu were next in metres made in the forwards. After that was Louis Brogan, who made 73 metres. Over 100 less than Ofahengaue.

It simply illustrates the issue. As it stands, they’ve not done anything to rectify it.

Clearly there is time yet and Leigh’s history in the transfer market gives them reason to be confident.

But in an increasingly difficult overseas market, and a domestic one clearly lacking in options, the Leopards have a real job on their hands to rectify that issue.

And if they don’t, their hopes of progressing are unlikely, instead, they’ll be regressing and drifting out of the play-off scene.