Thing is though if nothings changing why the new article?

That's what i was saying glyn. However i have a season ticket so they already have my money. Probably see the season out.

As long as no Wigan players take the places of Leigh players apart from through injury or suspension there should be no problem. Hopefully retain the services of Spencer but to be honest, unless there are masses of injuries then why would Leigh need any Wigan players? Ward, O'Donnell (who is Leigh's isn't he?), Rowe, Nicholson etc are players who can step up right away, whilst Higson will be like a new signing when fit.

Leigh should focus on developing and keeping together the current U20s and look at recruiting from local clubs for the future. There's a structure in place now, with Duffy and Anderson lets go from there. The local clubs as always are doing the town well at all ages. I think GLOW said it, look towards developing the next Chris Hill and Sam Hopkins rather than aiding Wigan's development.

Can some one tell me what has happened to Paul Rowley telling the fans forum we will not be going into partnership with Wigan
This is a partnership with Wigan try to dress it up as much as you like but it’s still a partnership
No Different than any other championship club
I just hope the club realise what damage this will do to the club if anyone thinks this will increase the crowds their living in a dream just watch them go down
Why do we need Wigan? We don’t Wigan need us lets remember for every Wigan player we take it means a loss off a place to one of our own local lads that is in the first team under 20s or under 18s
I say scrap this idea go as was originally stated loan players only from any team
In my opinion this is not just about rugby this is about 2 teams in the Wigan Borough and people at our club wanting to further their own status
Just let’s say we develop a good player in our 15/16 or18/20 will the player stay at Leigh No that’s why it’s better for Wigan
So P.R lets cut the C*** and do as you stated along with the CEO and the board of directors No Parnership with Wigan

It just needs clarifiction on this from the club, Ive read it to mean we are doing what we did last year and wont be using first teamers just young players like we did Warrington the year before, were I thought it worked in both clubs best interests.

If we twin with Wigan this is another matter, which will be the final nail, to my CLUB, please please dont go down that route.

Lynda if we can take duals then we have twinned, as only twinned clubs can take duals.

There should be no need for ANY link up - we are not Hunslet who are scrambling for players to compete in the league or a Oxford who play out on a limb.

Yet again though something has come out via the press instead of via the club (lets not forget Rowley was telling us before a ball was kicked about how 'excited' we'd be about the quality of the youngsters we'd be getting from Wigan whilst at the same time Trevor Barton was refusing to comment on it as he said nothing was happening) , from the outside it does look like that the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.

If the club are doing any kind of links with Wigan or any SL club (however big or small , on or off field) then surely the most decent thing is to tell the supporters and sponsors the exact details so people can read it and decide for themselves if its something they'll agree with / buy into, afterall our head coach is quoted thus “This partnership with Wigan is one we have been working on all year and one that we really feel is workable and of value to ourselves, the Warriors, the fans and the players” so clearly something has been going on for some time.

I look forward to the club giving us the full facts of this 'partnership' in the next day or so as the club has this season introduced a 'policy of honesty, integrity and transparency'.

A small part of my soul has just died.

As you can see, I've never posted on here before, but this news has me truly worried. I never thought this day would come. I've just e-mailed the club asking for an update as after supporting Leigh all my life I now feel my hard earned cash is being used to support the Warriors. We need an official statement now.

The club really should make a formal announcement.

I've seen the terms of the signed agreement, and it's all about providing playing opportunities for junior players in the borough, from grass roots to elite level. Since the RFL stopped the funding of Community coaches, there's a huge chasm opening in the coaching of kids in the borough. Sure, it provides the opportunity for under 23 players to come to Leigh on D/C, when both clubs and the player are in agreement. If Paul doesn't want them, they won't be coming. It's very much about the young players and will not be used for the likes of Tomkins, etc. coming back from injury.

But, it's about much, much more than players moving on D/C - it's about ALL the young players in the area, of ALL ages.

Please publish the agreement, Leigh!

Any D.C. from the pies means we are twinned with them.Only twinned clubs can register D.C.s.Keep the crust munchers out of our club.

So it is effectively the same agreement as Swinton signed then when they sold their souls.

So did Alan edge write this or was it centurions rl and wigan warriors

What I am worried about and I bet most on here are, is that this is just a smoke screen for a twinning arrangement that has been agreed with the RFL. It's a very sad state when fans have nearly no confidence in their clubs or the governing bodies. And they wonder why the crowds are dropping.

As long as it's gone about sensibly and we use it in the same way as if it was like previous years DR arrangements then I can't see it as much of a problem , one snag could be is that if or who PR chooses to bring in would struggle to play in enough games to be eligible for the play offs , which poses one question , If they wont be available for the final push at the end of the season then why make the announcement now ? why not wait until next year ? .

Well if it is I for one will walk away after watching us as a young un from the late 60s, see some of us Leythers won't sell our soul just for the hell of it.

Were does that mention duals?
It doesn't

I have always said for many years I would still follow Leigh RLFC in Rugby League's Division 20 if it ever occurred. When I said that phrase I never thought I would ever have to add in the word 'Independent' Leigh RLFC.

A Partnered /Twinned Leigh RLFC in the Championship - Never.

Why take the risk of upsetting so many of our remaining fans ?

I'd ask the current club owners that question as no matter how its dressed up its a agreement that will differ in wording only to what all the other twinned clubs have signed up to.

Surely they can see the huge damage this will cause for little (if any) gain, not only will a lot of supporters be disgusted / detached from the club but equally it sends out a signal that our club needs others to help us to get players in - are Fev, Fax, Sheffield and the other clubs who are rivals for trying to get into SL doing the same ?

At the end of the day what will Leigh Centurions gain from all of this compared to what we could lose - it just isn't worth it and i'd urge our owners to step back from signing anything (no matter how small it seems now) that would pose even the remotest threat to Leigh Centurions remaining as a proud stand alone Rugby League Club.

Well well well. it seem that all you hypocrites who have ripped into Swinton have some humble PIE to eat.

Not at all Barnie lad as it's far (far, far) from any support for any first team dual contracting.

Sorry, dont want this at all.............

In all the years i've watched, even when in the third tier getting tonked every week, the club has NEVER had a problem bringing its own young 'uns through..the amateur game is so strong in the town, there will always be a conveyor belt.....all this is gonna do is let "Pollard" and his cronies cherry pick our good 'uns!!

if people think that teams like Wigan StHelens etc dont already sign the best young Leigh talent then they know sweet FA about rugby in their own town, havre a look at their first team and academy team internet pages.

All this tie up means is that we will work with Wigan to identify the best young talent in the borough and it provides a player pathway from the town teams to first team if a player is a young star at age 16 then he would have the choice of Wigan or Leigh but it matters not who he chooses as he will receive the best of facilities and coaching and education that can be offered to him, at the moment we cant offer that Wigan can. If at age 19 he has not measured up to SL standard then instead of him just being cut he can go the Championship route, and Leigh will get first shout on his services.
The RFL will not allow clubs like ours to field certain age group teams so it also leaves that path open to the late developer.
The benefits to Leigh are that we get first call on any talent not deemed SL material AT THAT TIME, if at a later date he does become good enough then he rejoins the SL pathway with Wigan IF HE CHOOSES.
Is it twinning NO, is it mutual cooperation NO as that system must benefit the poorer club so what benefit to the SL club - they get to keep an eye on that little older talent when he is playing at an age group they do not have i.e. under 20's.
A player who we note WE think can do a job in the Championship then can sign either if the SL club is willing and why wouldnt it? a full part time contract with us or loan agreement. They would only be dual contract players if both clubs agreed that is the best for THEM. Forget interclub rivalry it doesnt exist they are SL we are Championship. If we ever achieve SL status then all bets would be off and we would revert to a stand alone youth system with the bonus that our coaches and players had had the best of facilities and coaching that they could have.
People must admit that we cant afford an effective youth system a) we have no money and b) The RFL puts many a 'roadblock' in place to non SL clubs. This system benefits the Player more than anything AND AFTER ALL THAT IS WHAT SHOULD BE THE MORE IMPORTANT or are people that selfish? what if it was your son/grandson?

This system is far from Us just being a fitness tester for a SL club to foster their re-hab players on which is the route Swinton and others have gone down.

At the moment AFAIK we have two Wigan players and one Salford player playing in our 20's the rest are Leigh signed players and so that will continue the teams will be picked by the Leigh coaches and if he decides that the Wigan players do not have a place in that weeks team for whatever reason then he will not be picked, again unlike Swinton and others like Oldham these coaches will be chosen by the BOD and not just because they are on the payroll of the SL club.

Dress it up all you want, but the RFL wont give a franchise to a club that has either given up, or been hoodwinked!

And another one bites the dust !!