Rochdale Hornets v. Leigh Centurions preview

By Matt Lawton
July 12 2003

Leigh return to the scene of their defeat in the Arriva Trains National League Cup Final, only a week after that particular loss to Salford in a match marred by several mass brawls and three players being sent from the field.

However, tomorrow's game should pass off more peacefully as it is more than likely there won't be anything like last weekend's crowd of almost 6,500 which created a fantastic atmosphere and really wound up the two sides. Leigh are again expecting to take a large travelling support although the home side will again be struggling to get anything close to 1,000 supporters despite their lofty position in the league.

Centurions coach Paul Terzis believes that his side will have got over last weekend's Cup Final defeat and are now fully focused on the more than considerable task that faces them at Spotland, with their opponents level on points with both the Centurions and Salford in a three-way tie at the top of National League One.

Leigh again have injury problems in the half-back department with Lee Sanderson already out for several weeks with a strained hamstring, former Salford scrum half John Duffy joined him on the sidelines after picking up an injury to his medial knee ligaments, just eleven minutes into the game against his former club. With latest signing Tommy Martyn still several weeks off match fitness, Leigh will depend heavily upon Australian stand off Pat Weisner and former Warrington scrum half Willie Swann to create anything in the Leigh side.

The Centurions will be coming up against several familiar faces in the Rochdale side, with as many as five former Leigh players set to take the field for the Hornets, in the shape of Jon Roper, Gareth Price, Chris Irwin, John Hamilton and stand-off Radney Bowker, who has been in terrific form since making a loan move from Salford City Reds.

Leigh are confident of a victory to open up a bit of breathing space between themselves and their opponents at Spotland, although they know it's going to be anything but easy, as they found out earlier this season when Leigh scraped a 34-32 victory at Spotland in the group stages of the Arriva Cup.