Leigh Leopards owner Derek Beaumont has revealed where he thinks his side will finish in Super League this season.
This is only the club’s second season back in Super League since being promoted from the RFL Championship through the Million Pound Game in 2022.
They have, however, enjoyed plenty of success since then, with the Challenge Cup victory – which marked a second Wembley win in as many years – and a strong playoff finish in the league.
This year saw a harder start to the season, winning just one of their first seven games of the season.
Since then, there has been an improvement, with victories over the likes of Catalans Dragons, Salford Red Devils and Huddersfield Giants.
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Beaumont, asked where the club would finish this season, said:Â “You look at what’s around us, you look at what games we’ve got left to play, you look at the players we’ve got coming back in, players we’re bringing over.
“I’m confident that if our best 17 are available on a pitch against five or six of the other team’s best 17s, then I’m confident that we can do a job on the vast majority, if not all of them.
“The key is to get to the playoffs. It looks difficult from where we are to a lot of people, but when we go through the numbers that the question states, then we do see a way of where that actually happens.”
He went on to explain some of the problems that the club are having in terms of transfers, referencing the loss of club captain John Asiata to Hull FC.
He said: “I also look at what’s happening here. I’m not going to confirm anybody’s going because that’s not what we do, other than John which everybody knows and that’s a significant one because he’s the captain.
“But if you take on face value some of the rumours and some of the other announcements from other clubs, and you think well there’s a certain number of people leaving here or coming to their end.”
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“It makes me look at the year at Leeds when I think McGuire was going to KR, Sinfield was retiring, Peacock was retiring. There were a number of them leaving and they were not having the best season in the final season and I think they limped in and got about sixth and then they won the Grand Final.
“It galvanises a group when it’s going to dissipate at the end and you want to come together and achieve something one last time before you go. So, it’s a big aspect, you talk high, you need to set the standard high.”
He’s confused a few separate seasons, as Danny McGuire left in 2017, a season they finished in second, but did win the Grand Final, while when Sinfield and Peacock retired, in 2015, they finished top of the league and won the Grand Final.
However, in both 2011 and 2012, they finished fifth before winning the Grand Final twice in a row.
It’s possible to make up for a weak regular season.
If Leigh Leopards can move much higher than their current position of ninth, perhaps they will manage to sneak in to the playoffs and cause a shock.
Beaumont continued: “Our goals at the beginning of the season haven’t changed. I would like to think we can make sixth place. I’d be disappointed if we didn’t, spending a full cap and three marquees, but I won’t be panicking if that wasn’t the case.
“We’ll reload for the following year and reset goals, but I think we can finish sixth.”
