Leigh Leopards man named best in Super League as pundit demands England call-up

Umyla Hanley was one of several Leigh players to stand out at Super League Magic Weekend, as the Leopards easily beat Warrington Wolves. As such, the 24-year-old has now been labelled the best in the centre in the competition.

That’s the opinion of Jon Wilkin and Sam Tomkins, with the Sky Sports pundits full of praise for Hanley after the Leopards’ win over Wire, in which Hanley scored a brilliant try as Leigh continue to knock on the door of the top six.

The centre also registered an assist and clocked up over 120 metres, and that performance, as well as his recent form, was enough for Jon Wilkin to declare Hanley as the “best centre in our competition.”

The pundit said: “I think he’s international quality. After Herbie Farnworth, he’s probably my first name on the England list.

“I think he’s playing better than Jake Wardle.”

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Leigh Leopards centre better than Wardle or Handley

For a long time, Wigan’s Wardle has been the unanimous best centre in Super League but no longer, with Sam Tomkins agreeing with his fellow pundit that Hanley has now usurped the Wigan man.

The ex-Man of Steel said: “In current form, I’d agree with that and it’s not always his try scoring that is most impressive. It’s his work in backfield, it’s real late footwork. He might not make 200 metres a game but his yardage carries and late footwork just to get a quick play.

“Off the back of that Ipape goes, Ofahengaue goes and it’s really vital that he’s doing the tough stuff as well which we probably don’t know him for and we don’t talk about it because he’s so good at the other end of the field.”

Host Brian Carney put forward Ash Handley as an alternative given the devastating combination he has formed with Maika Sivo but Wilkin was steadfast in his belief that Hamley is the best of the competition’s centres.

He explained: “Ash Handley is having a great year but I honestly think Umyla Hanley’s development, he’s always been a good ball carrier, his instinctive centre play has become class and you know what defensively he’s so solid as well.

“That’s where Jake Wardle or Ash Handley would maybe actually have the wood over him because they’re defensively so solid structurally with their understanding of when to be aggressive and when to be passive, but I’m seeing that from Hanley now.

“He’s the most devastating centre in the competition.”

The key problem for Hanley is that he has only played six of the 17 games in Super League this year due to injury, however, with the Man of Steel voting coming up after next round’s action, judge Sam Tomkins admitted that the Leigh man will be discussed.

“If he’s the best centre then he’s got to be mentioned. He will be mentioned,” Tomkins asserted.