RYAN Brierley was a forlorn spectator as his old club and former destroyer-in-chief Martyn Ridyard took their place in Super League.

Eleven years after their previous appearance in the top division, Centurions are back. And with a bang.

Ridyard, unsure even if his future lay with his home town club earlier in the campaign, bagged 24 points as Leigh destroyed the 2013 elite division’s League Leaders Shield winners.

All but six of Leigh’s 48 points came in an astonishing opening 40 minutes. And while Giants rallied with 24 points in the final 17 minutes it proved too little too late.

Ridyard wasn’t the only one deserving of a special citation. From one to 17, each member of Neil Jukes’ squad played their part in a result to rank alongside the best in the club’s illustrious history.

Winger Matty Dawson grabbed a hat-trick against his first Super League side as Centurions discovered Giants’ brittle right edge despite the England pairing of Leroy Cudjoe and Jermaine McGillvary.

Josh Drinkwater celebrated his three-year deal by kicking the life out of sinking Rick Stone’s side who recovered from 18-0 down to 18-10 before Ridyard intercepted Danny Brough’s pass to grab a pivotal try.

“My last words before we went out, I told them it had to be their best game in a Leigh shirt and from one to 17 they did,” said an ecstatic Jukes.

"In the second half, the momentum was always going to change, but what we got was the gutsiest performance we've ever had.

“To put 40 points on Huddersfield in the first half was electric. We did enough in that first half to win the game."

"Who would have said after five games we'd be up without having to go into the Million Pound Game. Who knows, we could even go on and win it, which would be ridiculous, wouldn't it?"

Equally delighted skipper Micky Higham added:” "It's right up there with all I've achieved in my career. I watched Leigh as a kid and to live the dream and captain my home-town team into Super League is a special moment. I am absolutely ecstatic."

In contrast, Brierley, left out of Rick Stone’s squad for a second successive Middle 8s game, patiently signed autographs, posed for pictures and listened to the jeers of the deliriously happy home fans.

He soon realised his afternoon wasn’t going to be a happy one.

Centre Greg Worthington touched down after less than two minutes as sleepy Sebastine Ikahihifo missed Ridyard’s kick-off.

Next, Jake Connor booted the re-start into touch giving Centurions the game’s first penalty. Gareth Hock and Reni Maitua both went close before Connor came to the rescue at the expense of another drop out.

There was no holding Leigh and after Aaron Murphy knocked on Leigh ran the ball with purpose with McNally and Drinkwater linking to send over Dawson for his sixth try in five games.

Ridyard made the most of the benign conditions to land a second conversion from the touchline.

Thirteen minutes and Drinkwater’s brilliant long pass picked out Dawson who crossed again. Ridyard converted from the touchline once more.

It couldn’t last and Giants struck a badly needed reply with tries from Michael Lawrence and Aaron Murphy plus a Brough conversion.

With Leigh’s early momentum seemingly running out of steam, Ridyard picked off Brough’s pass and sprinted 80 metres for a game breaking try.

Cory Paterson, Dawson and Ridyard again then went over by half-time to give Centurions an unassailable 42-10 lead.

In case there was any doubt Mitch Brown added try number eight after 49 minutes and it was ‘Super League here we come.’

Huddersfield narrowed the final margin with touch downs from Connor and doubles by Leroy Cudjoe and ex Leyther, Jamie Ellis. But Leigh weren’t to be denied and instead of Workington, Whitehaven and Swinton in 2017, it’s Wigan, Warrington and St Helens for the Centurions.

Match stats: Leigh: McNally, Higson, Worthington, Brown, Dawson; Ridyard, Drinkwater; Hock, Higham, Weston, Maitua, Paterson, Tickle; substitutes: Hood, Hansen, Hopkins, Dixon.

Tries: Worthington (1), Dawson (7, 13, 32), Ridyard (27,40), Paterson (35), Brown (49).

Goals: Ridyard (8)

Huddersfield: Connor; McGillvary, Cudjoe, Wardle, Murphy; Brough, Ellis; Ikahihifo, Hinchcliffe, Huby, Ta’ai, Lawrence, Roberts; substitutes: Leeming, Johnson, Rapira, Mason

Tries: Lawrence (17), Murphy (25), Connor (52), Cudjoe (63, 65), Ellis (70,77).

Goals: Brough (6).

Referee: Robert Hicks.