In recent weeks it’s been widely reported that Leigh were allowing Nathaniel Peteru and Nathan Peats to join Huddersfield on loan. That has now been confirmed as has the arrival of Jack Ashworth who has gone the other way to join the Centurions.
Ashworth has previously played for Leigh. In 2019, St Helens allowed the forward to play for the Centurions on dual-registration and he was highly impressive. Thus, it’s no surprise that Leigh are glad to have him back at the club until the end of the season.
The Grand Final winner and England Knights international is expected by all at Leigh to impress. Coach Kurt Haggerty told the Leigh website just how excited he is to have Ashworth in his squad for the rest of the season: “Jack is a big, aggressive middle, who is also good defensively. He’s coming here to get game time and as long as he rips in, he should be in our 17 each week.
“He created a good impression the last time he was at Leigh and Derek (Beaumont) speaks highly of him. Jack has maybe not got the game time he was looking for at Huddersfield so far, but he’s a Super League professional and he will soon fit in here and adapt really quickly.”
Nonetheless, Peteru and Peats will be loses for Leigh. Peteru has been key to their pack so far this season whilst Peats is a top class hooker and recently represented the Combined Nations All Stars. The pair will now join Ian Watson’s Huddersfield side. Interestingly, the deal was supposed to include four players with two going each way but the other Huddersfield player pulled out at the last minute.
Derek Beaumont was disappointed by the decision of the unnamed Giant but insists the Centurions are still trying to enhance their squad. He told the club website: “I was hugely disappointed to learn that one of the Huddersfield players had decided not to continue with the arrangement which left us exposed this weekend for our fixture which as it happens has now been postponed. We did not feel it appropriate to then return one of our players, given they had already attended the club and that’s where their heads were at.
“Furthermore, the paperwork was completed and lodged and did not permit a recall. Our difficult position becomes more difficult as a result of this but it is important only players who want to come to the club do, as there is nothing to be gained in having a player that doesn’t want to be here.
“Fortunately we have agreed with two other players that it is not appropriate to identify at the moment and we have the benefit of the Challenge Cup weekend off to attempt to add more and I am already working hard to bring over players with the two additional spots I have and invest my money to do so. We will continue to do the best we can as a group despite everything that seems to be going against us.”
