“Devastated” Leigh Centurions Interim Head Coach Kurt Haggerty admitted his side’s 34-28 home defeat to Hull Kingston Rovers was the “toughest result to take” of the season.
The Centurions came so close to their first win of 2021 as they overturned a 24-10 deficit to lead 28-24 but two late tries from the visitors ultimately denied them.
Reflecting on the result, Haggerty said, “I would say it was the toughest one this season. It is a tough one to swallow tonight.
“I am just really gutted for the players. They were not really far off at all but then again, it does put us on a good front foot going forward to possibly travel to Leeds next week and beat them.
“I am still devastated for the players as they put a lot into the game and to come away and not get the win it hurts but the effort remains a driving force for the rest of the season.”
The Centurions initially capitalised on KR’s indiscipline with three tries during a period where Albert Vete and George Lawler were sin-binned for foul tackles.
However, despite taking the lead, Haggerty admitted he fully expected a response from the Robins, praising the style of rugby they produced throughout the match.
He added, “I did not think the game was won when they went down to 11 players. We know Hull KR are a good footballing team.
“They keep moving the ball to break you down, even during the back end of the game, they kept it going and we knew it was going to go down to the wire.
“I was unsure about the challenges. It is not for me to comment on. They both got ten minutes in the sin-bin, it is what it is.”
