Leigh Leopards have announced the release of Ben Nakubuwai as they prepare for this week’s Challenge Cup tie with Batley Bulldogs.
Nakubuwai has spent three years with Leigh, joining the club in May 2022 after spells with Salford Red Devils and Gold Coast Titans in the NRL. He made 44 appearances for the Leopards in that time with three tries coming along the way as he helped Leigh take the step up from the Championship to Super League.
However, he spent much of last season on loan at Featherstone Rovers, with his last outing in leopard print coming in the club’s Challenge Cup quarter-final loss to Hull KR last April.
He has now left the club to move back to Australia and he does so with Leigh’s best wishes.
“We thank Ben for his services and wish him well in the future,” head of rugby Chris Chester told the club website. “He played a big part in our promotion from the Championship and in the Challenge Cup victory in 2023.
“As a member of the cup-winning team his name will forever be remembered in Leigh’s folklore.”
Joining after a stint with Norths Devils, Nakubuwai made 15 appearances for the Leopards in the Championship to help the club to promotion in 2022. That included a run out in the Grand Final against this weekend’s opponents Batley and in the 1895 Cup final win over Featherstone Rovers.
He was a regular in the club’s first season back in the top flight, too, playing 21 times and getting his hands on the Challenge Cup. However, he slipped down the pecking order last season and hasn’t been included included in Adrian Lam’s plans at all this time around.
The Fiji international’s departure opens up a quota spot space and with Leigh making it clear they that they sit someway below the salary cap, they could look to replace him with an overseas recruit.
