Why are Leigh fans in such disbelief at the events that have occurred over the past week?

After 10 years away from SL, a few seasons ago we seen a Leigh team failing at their first attempt to return into SL. For me and as a Leigh fan at that time I would've like to have seen that squad & coach kept together & further players/signings added to it.

However, at the top in charge we had an impatient bloke making all the decisions who was hungry for instant success & his own fame. As an example, making decisions like signing Rangi chase who was being paid silly money (100k+) whilst local lads like Riddy (one of Leighs top points scorers & a points scoring machine) was pushed away from his own town club.

These where signings also made against Rowley's request. This wasnt just the one occasion when Deggsy went against Rowley's request too. For example, Rowley requesting that Deggsy was to stay away from a summer training camp abroad whilst they worked on playing structures but Deggsy still decided to turn up interfering. Just like the same Deggsy interfering on who should & shouldnt play hence why Rowley threw his resignation at him.

Myself with a small minority of other fans who were being realistic could see this moment as the beginning of the end. However, back then when we voiced our opinions on what we could see unfolding in the near future we was told "you're being negative …". Well who's got it correct now ?

Those same fans who was telling me & the small minority of realistic fans that we were "being negative" was the same fans who suddenly seen Rowley as the enemy & took Deggy's side because he was the owner. Then those same fans that took Deggsy's side decided to target the players that were Toronto bound without thinking; hang on ? Why are they leaving ? If Leigh is so good as a club why are they leaving ?

All in all, like all good sporting establihsments, they have a culture which starts with a youth system which Leigh had. However, this was dismantled by a bloke who can't see longevity but yet we heard him saying "Im here for the long haul".

Leigh were obviously disliked by the RFL due to one man who's now left. Lets hope a new owner comes on board and plays the game proper with the RFL, the media & develops a culture for progress !!

Ok, So what’s the answer now? Everything you state is history,what about the future? What would you like to see happen?

Taking into account of course funding and investment will be limited. What approach should they take?

For me 1st and foremost is get the correct staff on board , id keep purtill he deserves another go

who will finance this?

Hopefully a new investor , there are a few rumours floating about & i hope one is true

Personally,I really did think Derek would have stayed and toughed it out,however he's gone,I liked him for what he was trying to achieve , but disliked him as a person,I really hope the reason Paul Rowley resigned comes out, I don't think it will as Paul is a private person,and Derek won't give the reason, but as has been said on another thread, the reason had something to do with the pre season training camp.
However life goes on,we as Leythers must band together,and do whatever is needed to ensure we still have a Club.I have heard a few rumours about possible investors, I have my own preference hopefully it will happen, till then I will be there at the LSV on Sunday, and get my season ticket again next year.Cmon you Leythers.

Eradicate the Deggsy era for a start but keep Purtill, all the others have to go I'm afraid.

The fans need to keep turning out in large numbers. For example, i believe recently Bradford had a crowd of over 6k.

The LSV needs big crowds like this to hopefully attract investors.

Along with this, lets attract some local lads players / staff back. For example, the likes of Stu littler being brought in.

And hopefully an investor will come on board who will work with the RFL & play the media in the correct way & someone who wont interfere with who plays and doesn't play !!

I don't always agree with a lot of what you have to say, but I do fully agree with this comment!

Well said, Valvehunter.

When DB came on board we had a top Championship side, oozing team spirit, playing champagne rugby with a top coach at the helm. DB totally dismantled the team, coach and spirit of the team. We were left with a set of players only here for the money with a coach who was unfortunately out of his depth. I always felt sorry for NJ. He was in an impossible position and even offered to resign. No blame at all with NJ. He tried his best. However, it was always going to end like this, just like it did last time. It was always an ego trip for DB.Please stay away from RL. Stick with footy.

Let's hope someone more sensible eventually takes over.

Whilst I agree with a fair amount of what is said on this, must also remember that this top championship team, playing champagne rugby was largely funded out of DB's wallet.

You were saying

It was always going to end like this with DB even if we had got into top 4.

And dismantled by DB's ego. He's a walking disaster as far as being in charge of a RL club. He appears to become bored with it as he did before in the past.

easy to say that now tho innit

Completely under performing squad all season. The players on paper should have walked that. You can blame NJ for losing five,but Kieron Purtill should have stepped up and made it so with that squad.

He failed. Why keep something thats failed?

Purtill didnt fail , whoever made that decision to buy 20 odd new players failed leigh & blind arrogance in thinking they'd walk the league. I bet that's the 1st time in the history of sport that a team has done that by choice

To be fair, there are a few that have being saying so for a good while, without the luxury of hindsight and who have been subsequently rebuked... with some hostility as a result

how did purtill fail..they lost 2 games in about 16 and both of them was toronto

No idea why we need an investor , the fans pay £20+ a game , if we get an investor we will be in the same position again at some point , we need to build something sustainable ! drop the gate fee, attract some fans , lets concentrate on filling up LSV every game rather than choking the fvck out of the existing fans. We have set ourselves up for failure by letting someone like DB in , good intentions or not he was just Leighs sugar daddy and like any human its not a lifetime commitment , we beat wigan under him so have to be grateful for that , I was there the previous time we beat them and it was 50p to get in 1/4 of my pocket money at the time , but they let me climb over the turnstyle on the day and they got a fan for life , but for 80 mins of rugby on a weekend taking my family and it being a £100+ day out aint gona happen . The club needs to be set up from the bottom up , if an investor comes along after that it should only be to add to what we already have , they shouldn't be a life support system.

If you want to be successful and are ambitious,then an investor is a must in this day and age, I was never a Derek B fan,but he did have a visionary tried to take us with him.We have had far worse in charge in the past, the Blackpool Mafia for a start.
No Club should be run by one man, I've never agreed with that,but MOST SL clubs have an investor ,if you want to be in the Championship and Div1 then it's fine to go back to the olden days, but to survive these days you need investore and Sponsors.

Game day at the LSV is buzzing post match in the Banqueting Suite,fans love the experience, myself I have my choice of Investor, it's just a case of will he come , I hope so,now Derek has left there is a chance .

If I was a betting man, I would have said that Leigh team would get in top 2, so I can see why Derek put all his eggs in one basket.

How Paul Rowley still gets praise on here is beyond me, he ditched the club, did f**k all in the qualifiers and was generally an arrogant toss pot.

Neil Jukes was the real star but lost the players, imagine if Derek sacked him one game earlier we would be 2nd, but that's sport.

Neil jukes is the real star .... bloody hell hahahaha

He has a point about Rowls though.

About him leaving ? ... if Mr ego didnt stick his conk in team buisnes he'd still be there . Trust me on this he didn't want to leave at all

Well I would say bo££ocks to that, it seems pretty clear he had been tapped up for the Toronto gig

He's now had 2 seasons to spend spend spend and play his style of rugby - the M8s will show if he's learned anything at all or whether he a one trick pony. Personally, especially after Widnes have strengthened, I can't see anyone going up.