It was a statement that seems somewhat prophetic now but at the time was certainly easy to criticise. “We’re not going into Super League to make up the numbers,” was how Leigh’s owner, Derek Beaumont, presented the club’s ambitions after securing promotion last October.
After all, this was on the day when Beaumont announced an ambitious rebrand of a club that had been know as the Centurions since 1995. The Leigh Leopards arrived clad in a new leopard-themed kit, which attracted plenty of derision. Throw in that Leigh had previously been promoted to Super League on three occasions and each time were relegated the following season and it was difficult not to imagine history repeating itself. But how wrong were all the sceptics.
