PROP Jamie Acton will miss the bulk of Leigh’s end of season campaign after suffering his latest swingeing suspension.

Acton, 26, must serve a seven-game ban after pleading guilty to intentionally elbowing Tom Hemingway in Centurions’ recent 30-12 victory at Batley Bulldogs.

Last season the London born forward copped a nine-match suspension, later extended to four months, for manhandling Australian Greg Bird in Leigh’s game against Catalans Dragons.

After that punishment Acton issued a public apology saying: “I will continue to work hard and improve on the negative areas of my game.”

But now he’s been in the dock again for a Grade E offence which carried a maximum eight game ban.

Acton was also sent-off for his challenge on the former Leigh loanee Hemingway. And it’s believed to be his latest ban is the 12th time the front rower has been suspended in just over three years.

“Jamie needs to be smarter in certain areas of his game,” admitted head coach Kieron Purtill whose side has only just welcomed back Peter Mata’utia and Matty Dawson-Jones after the duo served a total 10-game ban.

“Giving away penalties and playing with 12 men is not great. Jamie has a lot of good attributes,” insisted Purtill.

“But he has to make sure he channels all his energy on concentrating on being a good rugby player.”

Acton starts his latest spell on the side lines this Sunday when Leigh return from five successive away games to entertain Swinton Lions at Leigh Sports Village (kick-off 3pm).

“We didn’t have a great result in Toronto but we had our best victory over in Toulouse,” said Purtill of Centurions’ road trips. “And we had to tough it out in other places.

“We have given ourselves a chance to get in the Middle 8’s. But we need to win our last two games and hope other results go our way.

“There are some big games this weekend and once they are over we will have a good indication of where all the teams are heading after this round.

“It has been very close and from a neutral’s point of view it has been a good competition to watch this year with lots of exciting games. There is still everything to play for apart from Toronto at the top.”

Leigh laboured to a 54-32 victory over Rochdale last Saturday and Purtill admitted: “We weren’t happy with the way we played.

“We took our foot off the pedal after the first 10 minutes and it’s not acceptable. That’s probably been our underbelly all year.

“We know we need to be more ruthless. It’s great to score 50 odd points but not great to concede 30 odd points.”

Leigh could welcome back Nathan Mason and Micky Higham for the visit of Swinton after taking part in an unopposed training session at Warrington in midweek.