LEIGH Centurions head coachh Paul Rowley and head of rugby Derek Beaumont have led the congratulations to Martyn Ridyard on his landmark achievement for the Centurions.

Ridyard, 27, became only the fifth player in Leigh's history to reach the 1,000 points for the club with the seventh of his eight goals in the Centurions' 60-0 victory over Barrow Raiders at the LSV in the Kingstone Press Championship.

Ridyard was playing his 150th career game for his hometown club since his debut in 2009 and he has scored 63 tries and kicked 378 goals, including five drop-goals for a current career tally of 1,003 points.

John Woods is Leigh's leading points-scorer of all time with 2,492 points and other illustrious members of the 1,000 Club are the late Jimmy Ledgard (2,192pts), Neil Turley (1,519pts) and Chris Johnson (1,073pts).

Paul Rowley said: "All the players and staff of Leigh Centurions are proud of Martyn's achievement and really appreciate his contribution to the Club. In all my time at the Club I have known that Martyn is an exceptional talent. Martyn is now becoming a Leigh legend but he is a very humble person and just gets on with his job.

"It makes my job a lot easier having Martyn in the side. I am proud of him and so delighted for him and his family who are all Leythers through and through."

Derek Beaumont said: "It is rather timely that Martyn reaches this remarkable achievement in a year when we have seen our team break so many records. I wondered at one point if he was getting a bit edgy getting close to it as he missed his first two conversion attempts all be it from the touchline. Needless to say he soon found his striking form and it was perhaps even more pleasing that it was a difficult conversion that marked his one thousand points, rather than one from under the sticks.

"Martyn is a great lad and the product of Leigh Miners Rangers and it is always pleasing seeing home grown talent achieving and matching records. Martyn is secured for a further two seasons after this and is currently in a rich vein of form, as he showed most recently with his display against Leeds.

"His kicking in general play is also in great form and he is leading the boys around nicely. I am especially looking forward to him continuing to add to that tally from a full-time platform next season when I believe Martyn will show the whole of Rugby League just how special he is."