Centurions’ 2012 squad shaping up (From Leigh Journal)

Leigh Centurions’ 2012 squad shaping up

5:25pm Friday 9th December 2011 in Centurions

LEIGH Centurions’ 2012 squad continues to take shape.

Although still without a head coach, prop Michael Ostick and three-quarter Adam Clay have joined the club.

Young forward Sam Hopkins has also extended his stay as Leigh prepare for a new season that will start with the opening defence of the Northern Rail Cup against Barrow on Sunday, February 12.

Clay is the latest local boy to sign up for his hometown club, renewing his acquaintance with Hopkins and fellow Leigh Centurions players Jonny Pownall and Anthony Nicholson.

The former Leigh Miners Rangers junior joined Salford City Reds two years ago and he was named senior academy player of the season after a string of fine performances in 2010.

This past season, Clay was promoted to the first-team panel and he blazed a trail in Super League when deputising for injured players in the City Reds backline.

In four games he scored five tries, including two on his debut against Harlequins, giving a glimpse of his potential.

He scored the opening try for Salford against Leigh the last time the two sides met.

Prior to turning professional, Clay played a lot of football and only settled into rugby league with Leigh Miners Rangers in 2008/2009 when he became part of a very good youth side.

He appeared alongside Pownall – in a Miners side that was pipped by local rivals Leigh East – and Hopkins in the Northern Rail BARLA Youth Final.

His performances for the team earned an international call-up and a tour to Australia with the Great Britain Community Lions Under 18s alongside Pownall, Hopkins and fellow Leigh Centurions starlet Anthony Nicholson.

Ostick is seeking a fresh challenge at Leigh, his fifth club since making his first-team debut with the Widnes Vikings in 2008.

The 23-year-old, who teams up again with another former Halifax player Bob Beswick, had a loan spell with Barrow and upon his release from Vikings he had a seven-game stint with Rochdale Hornets before joining Halifax.

Hopkins originally joined Leigh ahead of Ian Millward’s first season back at the club, resurrecting the deal himself after a potential move to Salford collapsed.

He is a highly rated forward who came through the ranks at Leigh East.

After enjoying a steady first season with the club, Hopkins was rewarded for his efforts with a first-team squad number for 2011 when he also started playing more regularly in the front row.

It proved a good move for Hopkins as he pushed his way past a couple of players into Millward’s first-team reckoning, finishing last season with 13 appearances and four tries.

“We are confident that Sam can continue his tremendous development and fulfill his potential at Leigh," said chief executive Trevor Barton.

“Leigh Independent Supporters Association have again come up trumps and helped us to secure another young talent who now has plenty of experience to look up to and learn from.”