NEIL Jukes would love one-club favourite Martyn Ridyard to commit his future to Leigh Centurions.

But the Kingstone Press Championship leaders will be without another popular player for their Middle 8’ push for Super League.

Leigh are keen to keep playmaker Ridyard beyond the rest of this season but Jake Emmitt has been released from his contract with immediate effect to fulfil his goal of travelling and playing in Australia.

Ridyard, 29, who has scored two tries and kicked 78 goals this season, has been linked with a loan switch to top flight Wakefield.

He hasn’t featured since the 48-6 win over Swinton on May 22 and the two men spoke earlier this week.

Aussies Josh Drinkwater and Travis Burns were the half backs in last Sunday’s 16-12 win over Featherstone.

“I don’t want Martyn going anywhere this year,” confirmed the Centurions boss.

“I have told Martin and his agent that as well.

“I want him to sign for next year and I’d actually like him to try and finish his career at this club because he has been a great servant; not just to me but to the town of Leigh

“He is one of a number of players not playing regularly at the moment. But he is one of the few players who has played regularly so it is unfamiliar to him.”

Earlier this season Ridyard moved third on Leigh’s all-time list of top points scorers. He is also third highest scorer in the Championship this term behind Steve Tyrer of Halifax and Bradford’s Danny Addy.

“I have said to everyone we can’t go into the rest of the season with just two halves, two centres, two wingers etc. We have got to have not just numbers but quality numbers in every position.

“The clear message is I don’t want him to go anywhere. Come the Middle 8’s-no matter what does happen with the loans-we will be re-grouping as a whole squad and getting ready for the biggest seven weeks of our lives.”

On Welsh international Emmitt, whose 89th and final appearance in Leigh colours was the Summer Bash win over Bradford, Jukes added: “Jake has thought long and hard about going travelling and playing in Australia and getting into the feeder club system over there.

“It got to the point where his desire to fulfil that ambition outweighed his desire to stay with us. In any team sport you need every player to be 100 percent committed and it’s important that decisions like this are taken now rather than in the Middle 8s.”

Leigh entertain bottom of the table Workington on Sunday with Jukes appealing for the town to help push the team to even greater heights.

“I want the fans to come down and really enjoy their home town club doing really well.

“Someone told me a stat that in our last 65 games we have only lost five times.

“I can assure them that for every 100 extra fans that come to our games, it spurs the players on.”

Leigh look to complete a 2016 hat-trick of wins over the Cumbrians having scored 108 points in the two previous League and Cup victories.

n Meanwhile the club is considering an appeal against forward Jamie Acton’s seven game ban after being found guilty of two offences in last month’s win over Swinton Lions.