1:08pm Thursday 26th August 2010
By David Parkinson
YOUNGSTERS will still have the opportunity to progress at Leigh Centurions after the club announced plans to operate an abridged scholarship scheme.
This term, Leigh entered teams in the embryonic scholarship competition at under-15 and under-16 age groups, taking on the likes of St Helens and Warrington and it had been feared that this would have to be scrapped altogether in the latest Rugby League shake-up, but that is not now the case.
Head coach Ian Millward says he is happy with the outcome that has been achieved.
Chief executive Allan Rowley explained: “The RFL performance department were tasked with developing a player pathway that fitted the specific needs of the Championship Clubs and not have them operating a makeshift pathway which was designed for Super League clubs.
“At a Championship meeting in March this year a proposal paper was put together and presented, which, in the RFLs words,had ‘a broad agreement’ from those present.
“Leigh Centurions certainly did not agree with it. Whenever there has been any degree of success at Leigh it has been because the team had a nucleus of local talent, and the way forward for this club is to run its own scholarship, and have that player pathway in place.”
Rowley continued: “Leigh East and Leigh Miners are two of the top amateur teams in the country, between them supplying over 100 players to the professional game in the last 10 years. This is further testimony that Leigh is a hot bed for young rugby players.
“The club has invested a lot of money over the past four years and the scholarship is just starting to pay dividends with some very creditable results and by three players this season tasting first grade rugby.
“We are now told that we can run a scholarship providing we run an under 18s team in addition to a reserve team, which is something that we just can’t afford to do.
“It costs in the region of £15,000 a season to run a scholarship and around £50,000 a year to run an under 18s. We are therefore left with no alternative than to go with the RFL player pathway which will run alongside the regional programme.”
This means that the club can select 10 players from the two age groups to enter the scholarship and as well as regular coaching from the Centurions committed staff, they will also be coached at regional level.
“It maintains everything we are trying to achieve,” said Millward said.
“We are trying to develop local players to play for Leigh that we’ll identify. The players selected on the scholarship will get additional training at development camps involving the RFL and we can still have a control over our youngsters.
“I don’t see it as a negative to the club. We’ve still got our scholarship programme, we’ve still got our scholarship coaches, we’ll still identify the best young talent and work with them.
“I’m happy with the outcome that we’ve achieved.”
The Reserves are a step closer to a Grand Final appearance following a 58-6 thumping of Keighley on Saturday.
They will now host Widnes Vikings in another home tie, while the club have brought their play-off game against Sheffield Eagles forwardn from September 5, to Thursday September 2, for coverage by Sky Sports.
Play-offs fixtures are not covered with a season ticket, therefore this game is all pay. Tickets are now available from the ticket office.
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