Derek Beaumont reveals inside story of how Leigh Leopards beat Hull KR to Oliver Gildart

Former Wigan Warriors star Oliver Gildart is headed to Hull KR in 2024 but signed for their Challenge Cup Final opponents Leigh Leopards this year in a shocking twist.

Gildart cannot play for Leigh against Hull KR in the final as he wasn’t registered in time but the Leopards still beat Hull KR to his signature according to Derek Beaumont in what feels like the pre-cursor to the final itself.

He was drafted in to replace the injured Ricky Leutele.

Now Leigh owner Derek Beaumont has explained the inside story of how the club beat Hull KR to the signature of the centre.

“The biggest thing in any club is recruitment; and in doing that, you know, who you coach has an influence on who the agents and the players are going to be coached by,” he said on The Bench.

“And then your facilities obviously are important. I think we’re okay on that element; and then it’s the culture that you have and the fun that you create.

“The best advert for your recruitment are the players you’ve got at your club. So Oliver Gildart, okay Hull wanted to bring him early. He wasn’t keen on changing where he was at. But probably they don’t go back. There’s a lot happening this year. He’s committed to it and beyond that.

“Then we’ve gone into him when we’ve lost Ricky Leutele and because of where we are and the possible opportunities of playoffs, finals and you know, we’re going to Wembley so he’ll be part of it. It’s appealing and the form of the entertainment, the flavour of it.”

Beaumont also spoke about the impact of the club’s rebrand as the Leigh Leopards:

I”t’s an interesting one though because people know, as much as it’s gone wild, it’s great how you can wear any little part of it it associates you with it.

“It doesn’t have to replica or anything with a Leigh badge on it, doesn’t matter if it’s leopard print, so then you find other fans thinking ‘damn you can’t wear that because they’ll think I’m a Leigh fan’. And the things that you see, we’re in 15 meters of going on a cruise the other week, we saw a leopard print towel, bag, things that you put around your neck on the plane, one of those, you know, obviously bikinis.

“I think it was only me walking around in leopard print swimmers I do confess.”