Leigh Leopards forward heads to Championship side on season-long loan deal

Leigh Leopards forward Andrew Badrock is heading to Championship side Widnes Vikings on a loan until the end of the season.

The 24-year-old joined the Leopards ahead of the 2025 season from Swinton Lions, where he impressed in a two-year stint.

However, he’s been struggling for minutes at Leigh, having only featured five times in 2025, and a move to the Championship could help the Vikings secure a play-off spot.

He will join back up with former Swinton boss Allan Coleman, who is the one who recruited him for the amateur game to sign for the Lions back in 2023.

Coleman spoke very highly of Badrock in a statement on the Vikings website, stating: “I’m buzzing to get this one done, a massive thanks to Leigh for allowing this to happen.

“Andrew’s a back row who is absolutely lightning fast, probably one of the quickest in this competition. He’s played four or five Super League games this year, and I’ve known him for a long time.

“He’s got everything we need, and with the ground firming up, we just needed that pace, and with him and Jake Maizen, we’ll certainly have that.”

Leigh Leopards off-season signing heads to Championship on loan

Badrock started his career at Leigh Miners Rangers before moving to Swinton, where he scored thirteen tries in 47 games.

That form caught the eye of Leigh Leopards, signing a two-year deal back in October 2024.

His pre-season attitude was rewarded on the eve of the 2025 Super League season, when he signed a contract extension, which will see him stay at the club until the end of the 2028 season.

However, that hasn’t seen him afforded much game time so far, making two Challenge Cup appearances in wins over Workington Town and Batley Bulldogs, scoring a try on his Leigh debut against Workington.

He’s also featured in three Super League games in rounds four, nine and ten, but hasn’t made an appearance since then.