Derek Beaumont’s interesting response to Leigh Leopards man’s Love Island move

After Jacques O’Neill’s Love Island journey, another rugby league player has taken to the Love Island villa in the shape of Keanan Brand.

The former Warrington Wolves outside back who joined Leigh in the 2021 season on loan before making the move permanently in the 2022 season and helping the club return to Super League.

However, he has not had the chance to play in Super League since their promotion as the outside back heads to the Love Island villa as O’Neill did last year.

Brand is the latest Love Island bombshell to drop in and ruffle some feathers and you will see him tonight.

What it means for the Leigh squad remains to be seen.

🚨 Double bombshell allert! 🚨

Rosie and Keanan are ready to turn some heads #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/HlGERuShpC

— Love Island (@LoveIsland) February 23, 2023

However, Leigh’s owner Derek Beaumont seems very happy by the prospect in stark contrast to the division of opinion that was sparked back when O’Neill left Castleford for the reality tv show.

Beaumont took to Twitter to congratulate Brand. He said: “Boom there’s a leopard in the house ⁦
as our⁩ very own @brandkeanan enters ⁦the Love Island villa. Have the greatest time we are all right behind you.”

💥 💥 boom 💥 💥 there’s a leopard in the house ⁦@LeighLeopardsRL⁩ very own @brandkeanan enters ⁦@LoveIsland⁩ have the greatest time we are all right behind you 🏝️☀️🔥🐆 pic.twitter.com/NcT6VEAMEp

— Derek John Beaumont (@derek_beaumont) February 24, 2023

Beaumont, as forward thinking as ever, likely sees this as a chance to take his brand to the Love Island audience as soon as tonight after all O’Neill has over a million followers on social media because of his stint on Love Island.

Since leaving the villa O’Neill has done a lot to promote mental health and the like and has also helped promote Super League appearing on the likes of Sky Sports as a pundit.

But the big question has always been, will he return to rugby league?

On Sky Sports he suggested that a return could be close:

“I’m hoping soon, I’m hoping sooner than I thought, I’ve got to be honest. I miss it. When you love something when you’re a kid, you miss it. I want to be back.”

So, O’Neill could be set to return to rugby league sooner rather than later.

If he did, the Tigers would have first dibs on him.

Though could the Leopards be interested in bringing him in to help grow the club further and add depth to his squad.