Following a meeting between the RFL and the championship clubs yesterday Thursday 6th February 2014 at the Big Fella's Stadium Featherstone, Leigh Centurions have announced their complete support of the RFL and its new structures that were presented to them.

Football Director Derek Beaumont who represented the club at the meeting with club director Allan Rowley commented;

“I would like to congratulate Nigel Wood and his team for all their hard work to bring this format to life. They have given the game a heartbeat and an opportunity to all to become masters of their own destinies. The composed and assured manner in which the RFL have dealt with this process is testament to their beliefs and ambition for our great game. They have come into some very harsh criticism in the public domain and I am sure this did not help them negotiate what is a ground breaking broadcasting deal with SKY TV”

“I would also like to thank Mark Campbell and his team at Featherstone for their hospitality and the professional manner in which they staged the meeting. Visiting the Big Fella’s Stadium brought back memories of my first stint in rugby league ten years ago when we were banging on Super League's door from Hilton Park. The new structures provide more opportunities to championship clubs who are not as fortunate as us to have the world class facilities afforded to us by our partners Leigh Sports Village. The older grounds possess character and it is good that they won’t hinder ambitious clubs from grasping the nettle”

“It was talk of the new structure that re-engaged me personally with rugby league as there was the vision of a clear pathway to achieve over time in a controlled measured manner as any business would expect to grow. I sincerely hope that the innovative structure re-engages many more business men, sponsors and spectators in their droves to put the great game of rugby league up at the top of the sporting tree. It is inspiring and comforting to know that in the RFL we have a leader that has courage of its convictions to make changes and to adapt to modern eras for the greater good of the game and I sincerely hope they are rewarded for that with some explosive meaningful games across all facets of the competition”

“At Leigh Centurions we are prepared for that challenge and ready to take advantage of the opportunity created for us. We have a home grown ex international player as our coach who is young and vibrant and was named championship coach of the year in 2012. Together and with the rest of our coaching team we have assembled a squad with a mix of experience and youth that we believe will have the power and pace to deliver our goals. We have a board of management that would be envied by any business in or outside of the sporting circles and one that would cost seven figures to employ. We have the stage at LSV that is the envy of the championship and what I consider the best playing surface in rugby league as a whole and we are extremely proud of our partnership with the Leigh Sports Village which continues to grow from strength to strength”

“These are extremely exciting times for Leigh Centurions, and the game as a whole, and we really are now ready to kick on to take our opportunity afforded by the RFL with both hands”

Leigh Centurions start their campaign hosting Batley Bulldogs at 3pm Sunday 16th February 2014 at the Leigh Sports Village and are hoping to see a large vociferous crowd cheering them on.

Only Derek could have done that, built Featherstone up in one breath then knocked them down in the next.

Fantastic statement though and its clear we are not just talking a good game but we are ready for the challenge, we always believed the new structure would be ratified and have been ready for it for eight months since we came to power and its clear from Derek's statement we are not just looking to make up the numbers!!!!

Come on Leythers if we want a SL club we can have one!!!!!

Quote: SRW1996 "Only Derek could have done that, built Featherstone up in one breath then knocked them down in the next. Andy, It's also on the RFL website:- www.therfl.co.uk/news/article/29 ... behind-new with a similar statement about Featherstone! www.therfl.co.uk/news/article/29 ... ew-tv-deal

Quote: SRW1996 "Only Derek could have done that, built Featherstone up in one breath then knocked them down in the next. Andy, It's also on the RFL website:- www.therfl.co.uk/news/article/29 ... behind-new with a similar statement about Featherstone! www.therfl.co.uk/news/article/29 ... ew-tv-deal

Great press release - professional and to the point, what a difference from the rambling incoherence we had a couple of years ago!

Guess we had to make do with the limited resources we'd got in those days. Now we have a much larger group of directors, some of whom have the 'gift' of being able to make public statements and issue press releases.

It's good to be on the front foot with these messages and not just sit there while Featherstone shout from the rooftops!

They should have asked you to do the proofreading/editing at least Alan, you seem to have a silver pen!

How long as Allen Rowley been a director?? Have I missed something??

You have got the wrong Alan.

It does mention director Allan Rowley in the article!

Sorry but using an iPad isn't good when you want to quote a part of a post !!!

Never said this before but agreed well done RFL, really working to drive the sport as a whole forward instead of just sitting back and taking short term decisions for the top few clubs. It really is an exciting time for the sport. Also always good to get a sly dig in at Featherstone's "excellent facilities at the Big Fellas Stadium" which consists of some grass on a pit rook surrounded by a building site, must be one of the worst grounds in the league.

its there own though.....and apparently the training centre is better than most super league clubs facilities. Hilton Park wasn't exactly the nou camp

Oh dear. By the way what is a pit rook?

Be honest POR is built on a similar site 2 the Yoyo only difference is the Yoyo did not have a ski slope.

Is the Yoyo still there incidentally ?