New Leigh Leopards recruit lays bare ‘Super League dream’ with Wigan Warriors exit explained

Ben Olawumi
Ryan Brown

Leigh Leopards youngster Ryan Brown - Image credit: Leigh Leopards

New Leigh recruit Ryan Brown admits he knew he had to depart Wigan to pursue his Super League dreams before the Warriors told him exactly that, with the youngster’s sights now firmly set on a top-flight debut.

With his signing announced by Leigh back in mid-October, England Academy international Brown has made the move across the borough ahead of 2025.

The Warringtonian has penned a two-year deal at the Leopards’ Den having spent the last five years in the Warriors’ youth ranks.

Having seen a number of his colleagues at Wigan progress, he was left to find game time out on loan, but has now reignited his own Super League ambitions.

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New Leigh Leopards recruit lays bare ‘Super League dream’ with Wigan Warriors exit explained

Brown, able to slot into the front-row or at loose, spoke to LoveRugbyLeague at Leigh’s recent pre-season media day, and explained: “My dream is to make my Super League debut, that’s my goal.

“I’d been at Wigan for about five years, and it’s a long time, but it was time to move on.

“They’d told me that the pathway for me was blocked. They’d done a lot of signing in my position, and Leigh was the perfect move for me at the right time.

“I’d been out on loan a few times last year and I was after challenging myself. I wanted a full-time environment, Leigh offered me a deal and I snatched their hands off. It’s a massive club here and one that’s on the up.

“I didn’t get involved in the discussions really, but Wigan were really good with me with the move. They helped me along the way and kept communicating with me, which was good of them.

“My agent sorted things out, told me that Leigh were interested and I was buzzing about that.”

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‘Being here in this full-time environment is only going to help me towards that debut’

With his 20th birthday not until May, Brown – who played his junior rugby for local club Rylands Sharks – will be one of the youngest members of Adrian Lam’s squad in 2025.

Nothing has been decided yet as to whether he’ll head out on loan in the Championship or remain at the Leopards’ Den and fight for a first-team spot just yet, but he’s chasing game time wherever it comes.

Having featured 14 times between Barrow Raiders and Midlands Hurricanes last year, he said: “(Going out on loan from Wigan) helped massively, the experience was class.

“Kicking on now, I feel like first-team rugby is what I need, whether it comes in the Championship or here at Leigh this year.

“Playing first-team rugby is important for me. Now I’m at this stage in my career, it’s about playing against blokes week in, week out. The physicality of it is the main thing.

“Being in and around the lads and being in this full-time environment is only going to help me towards that debut, because it’s a very tight group here. (Pre-season training camp in) Lanzarote helped a lot with that.

“We got to know different people on a deeper level, sharing rooms with lads that you wouldn’t normally know what they do in their day-to-day life.

“We had a lot of bonding, and that’s credit to Derek (Beaumont, Leigh owner) for investing in that.

“You’ve got to be together and going on the pitch with people you feel are your best mates to perform at your best level, in my opinion.”

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