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LEIGH CENTURIONS Vs HALIFAX
KINGSTONE PRESS CHAMPIONSHIP
31st JULY 2013, 7.30pm Kick-off.
LEIGH SPORTS VILLAGE
Twitter: @LeighCenturions vs @Halifax_RLFC @LSV08
E- Programme Part 1
INTRODUCTIONS
Hello and welcome to a first from Leigh Centurions as we produce our very first E-Programme. With printing deadlines so tight for this game and with it only being arranged on 23rd July, this was too close for us to produce our usual high quality printed copy; however as a club of innovation and drive, we thought we’d produce something different and equally noteworthy.
So what have we got coming up in this first E-Centurion?
John Roddy gives us a few thoughts from the board.
Paul Rowley speaks to Dave Parkinson in the first of a two part interview concerning the historic Northern Rail Cup Final win (2nd part to appear in the Swinton programme).
Dave also chips in with a focus on Tommy Goulden who recently reached two career milestones. He also looks at what other milestones have been reached or are coming up amongst the squad and provides abridged Facts n Stats; also listing our remaining fixtures at first team level.
Pete Jackson makes his programme debut for the “Centurion” writing about our visitors Halifax, his thoughts as a newcomer to our wonderful sport and his view on the recent Festival of World Cups.
Nathan Lawrenson looks to the future and suggests a slightly different approach to that of the RFL.
We carry links where you can look to purchase World Cup Tickets for the game at the Sports Village and the third Quarter Final, lists of our valued club sponsors and an advert for another Leigh Centurions innovation – Leigh Centurions TV, where for just £3.50 per month you get all the match coverage, pre and post match interviews and items such as Captains Corner, featuring Rob Parker and Ryan and Riddy’s Catch up featuring our cheeky halfbacks.
Squad lists are provided by our usual “Centurion” programme editor Alan Edge.
Your feedback on this edition would be greatly valued, drop our stand-in editor Dave Parkinson an email at
dpcenturion@hotmail.com with your thoughts.
FROM THE BOARD: John Roddy
Welcome to our first e-programme and I hope one of many to appear in the future.
Thanks to Dave and Andrew Parkinson for identifying a solution after we learnt that our fixture with Halifax was announced. We had absolutely no chance of preparing a normal club programme in the timeframe.
Lots of other great initiatives are happening behind the scenes at Leigh Centurions and be assured that already plans are being discussed not just for the 2014 season but also 2015 as well - we cannot afford to sit still whilst others are moving ahead.
We are always looking for new talent to join our individual support groups to help take this club into a new direction a club which is very ambitious and is looking for success both on and off the field - Please get in touch with us if would like to be part of our future success.
Finally - yes we are the Northern Rail Cup Champions 2013 and what a team effort it was to secure the victory, may I on behalf of the club thank each and every one of our supporters for their following not only at the final but throughout the the whole campaign.
Best wishes,
John
PAUL’S PAGE
Dave Parkinson chats with Paul Rowley following the Centurions 4th Northern Rail Cup Final victory.
So Paul after the rigours of the Northern Rail Cup Final, have you come down to Earth yet?
I was right back on Monday, planning for our next fixture against Hunslet on Sunday and for the Halifax game! They don’t give you long before your next assignment comes along. It was a wonderful moment and I certainly won’t let it pass me by. There were a lot of memories that will sit with me forever and a day. But we’ve got to move on and think about our next job.
Taking you back to Saturday, give us an idea how that was, you won this competition twice as a player and now as a coach!
I’m the only one to win it as a player and as a coach. It’s strange, winning it as a player, you are delighted because it’s you, you are delighted for yourself, you are proud, proud because your family get to see you lift it. You are proud because your supporters see you lift it. It’s euphoric.
Winning it as a coach is like seeing your kids do well at sports day. It’s more of a paternal instinct. You take joy out of watching the lads get the credit they deserve, like you would for a son or daughter when they’ve done something particularly well. I wanted them to enjoy it as much as they can and remember these moments forever.
When you play in a game like that, you create a special bond, them things will be with you in ten, twenty, thirty years time – they are the team that played together in that final. They are very rare and very special and they’ve done something to get there and I’m immensely proud of each and every one of them.
You’ve often spoken about the hard work that the lads have put in. This is now testament to their efforts isn’t it, they’ve got something to show for it?
Absolutely. I think all players work hard, no matter what club. We are no different, we all do similar stuff. The beauty of our team is that if you are not going to spend the most and you aren’t going to have the biggest squad, you’ve got to think, what have we got that no-one else have and what we have is a group of largely homegrown players who have been brought up in the area, born and bred, they are really a good set of friends, they play for each other.
That is what is so special. Mixed in with that, our fans are so passionate as well. There’s a lot of love at the club and there is something special.
Part two of this interview follows in the Swinton programme on Sunday, available around the ground from your usual vendors.
PLAYER FOCUS – Tommy Goulden
Dave Parkinson looks back over the professional career of Goulden with the help of the man himself.
Whilst the Northern Rail Cup Final 2013 will forever be remembered as Tommy Goulden’s 100th appearance for Leigh, a lesser known personal milestone is set to be reached with Goulden on the verge of his 200th professional appearance.
“I look back now and think; where’s time gone? But when you enjoy it, the seasons fly by, especially when you get stuck into them.” Goulden said, “You hate it at the beginning of the pre-season when it comes around again but then you think, what would you do without it?”
The former GB BARLA captain turned professional after returning from a memorable tour of Australia having played out a glittering amateur career that saw him as one of the stand-out players in a decent Leigh Miners Rangers team.
Despite earlier recommendations to Leigh it was Rochdale Hornets that came calling for his services.
Modern rugby league legend Bobbie Goulding was in charge of Hornets at the time and Tommy remembers his first professional coach fondly.
“It was a great experience; Bobbie was a fiery character. He wanted you to wear your heart on your sleeve and play for the shirt on your back, which I always did; and I always do.”
Four first team appearances came at the end of 2005 and then Tommy faced a gruelling pre-season, his first as a pro.
He described it as “Eye-opening. It was tough. That’s what I needed though. I’d signed from the amateur game; played four games and thought ‘I’m way off the pace here!’
“Once I got a pre-season under my belt, I took it in my stride.”
By the time the 2007 season was underway a relegation battle developed at Spotland.
“There was relegation and the same old story; a money battle. People weren’t getting paid and it basically took a downward spiral. People left and the inevitable happened.”
From Rochdale, Goulden moved to their near neighbours and rivals Oldham where his stock continued to rise.
Despite the rivalry between the clubs, Rochdale fans gave Tommy a good send-off.
“The Rochdale fans didn’t begrudge me and they wished me well. I wanted to further my career and play for a club that I thought was going to go places. Oldham had a decent side the year I signed for them.”
Whilst at Oldham, Tommy played in two Championship One Grand Finals, finishing on the losing side on both occasions. “It was hard to take when we’d go all season, win 90 percent of our games and then lose that vital game but I suppose it was the same for Sheffield last weekend. You’ve got to be on your form on the day; no excuses.”
His Oldham form brought him to the attention of Ian Millward, then putting a team together to regain the Centurions standing in the Championship after a difficult 2009 season.
Goulden said, “I jumped at the chance. I’d have signed for Leigh ten years ago if I’d had the opportunity but I had to go and do my apprenticeship at Rochdale and Oldham before the chance came to sign for my home club.”
Speaking with such pride it is difficult not to be impressed by Goulden who has taken the long way round in his professional career.
“The move (to Leigh) came about through a guy that I knew; secondary contact basically. Ian was interested in me and I was interested in coming to Leigh. We had a mutual friend who sorted it out for us.”
He made his debut against his former club at the end of January 2010 and soon became a staple fixture in the Centurions team that bounced back from its flirtation with relegation in 2009 and became one of the Championships leading lights.
Four years later, with two Northern Rail Cup Winners medals to show, Tommy is still going strong.
His second season with Leigh saw him notch an impressive 15 tries and he played 23 games last season.
Whilst admitting that a couple of niggling injuries have held him back a little this year, Goulden’s form is impressive.
“I feel that I’m coming back into form now.” He said, “In previous years we’ve always started like a house on fire and dropped away at the end, but now, I hope that we are doing it the reverse way of starting off a bit slow and then kicking on right to the end of the year.”
“We are now playing how we should have been playing but that happens sometimes. You can’t put your finger on it when you aren’t playing how we train but hopefully we can keep the momentum going and you never know where we’ll end up!”
OUR VISITORS: Halifax
By Pete Jackson
Tonight’s visitors Halifax come into this game knowing that the Centurions can cut the points gap between the two sides to just one if a home victory is secured.
The Shay, Halifax’s home ground, was the scene of Leigh’s heroic Northern Rail Cup win just 11 days ago. In doing so, The Centurions took the trophy from Fax who won last year’s final at Blackpool. Talking of Blackpool, these two sides met there in 2011 when a last gasp Tom Armstrong try secured another successful day for the “Leythers”.
If Halifax’s recent performance’s in so called “big games” are anything to go by, then Leigh will take great confidence in their chances of snatching a win tonight.
Whilst Fax have been winning the majority of their recent games, in encounters against Champions Sheffield and high-flying Featherstone Rovers, they have failed to bring home the vital points which could have seen them sitting at the top of the Kingstone Press Championship table.
Many of tonight’s visiting fans would point to the injury of captain, and arguably their best player, Scott Murrell in early May as to why their form has dipped after going 13 games unbeaten at the start of the season.
When captain Murrell was sidelined, Fax swiftly exited both cup competitions, losing to Sheffield in the Challenge Cup and Dewsbury in the Northern Rail Cup, which put the league firmly at the forefront of their minds.
Murrell’s injury woe’s struck again when he missed Halifax’s last game against Featherstone, which they lost 30-16. Three of Fax’s five defeats this season have come when he has been unavailable, and his fitness will be of the upmost importance come playoff time.
It all started well for Halifax though, as they managed to overturn champions Sheffield on the first day of the season which saw them start that 13 game unbeaten run.
This included an 11 try mauling of the Centurions, 60-10 in April, but form has become more difficult to come by the longer the season has progressed.
Here is a look at some of the stand out Halifax players, and who you can expect to impress in tonight’s crunch game.
Ones to Watch:
Anthony Thackery:
Age: 27
Height: 5”9
Position: Stand-off /Scrum half.
“Thacks” has played for a number of clubs including Hull FC, Castleford before moving to Fax from Super League side Widnes last year. He is the second top try scorer at Fax with 14 already this season, and loves to run at the line. He will cause problems for Leigh if they don’t keep him contained.
Rob Worrincy:
Age: 28
Height: 6”2
Position: Winger
Famed for scoring a number of long range tries, “The Warrior” chose to stay with Fax despite interest from other clubs. The former Sheffield and London man has 13 tries to his name so far this season and ran in two against Leigh back in April. In fact Rob has a history of scoring against Leigh!
Dane Manning:
Age: 24
Height: 6”0
Position: Second Row
An unsung hero in the Fax pack, Manning joined Halifax in 2012 off the back of a very impressive season with Yorkshire rivals Batley, having earlier represented Featherstone Rovers. With five tries scored so far this season, Dane will tackle and run the ball all night if needed.
Ryan Fieldhouse:
Age: 25
Height: 5”10
Position: Full Back
As Halifax’s top try scorer this season, Fieldhouse has been in devastating form. The son of former club favourite John, he already has a personal haul of 62 points and will threaten from full back tonight if the Centurions kick-chase game is not on the money. Before taking a professional contract, Fieldhouse played for Bank Quay Bulls and Leigh East.
Head Coach Report:
Karl Harrison
Harrison has a big reputation both as a former player and a coach. A big prop forward in his playing days and an imposing figure for Hull and Halifax, he has a Premiership title under his belt and also lists a tour of Australia and New Zealand with Great Britain as a player.
He has coached at Salford City Reds, Keighley Cougars, Bradford Bulls and Batley where he won that clubs first piece of silverware for 86 years in 2010 and was also in charge of England for a spell of two years from 2004-2006.
TAKING ON A NEW SPORT
By Pete Jackson
Working for the Leigh Centurions over the past three months has opened my eyes in so many ways. Getting involved in a sport I had little knowledge of, covering a team I knew nothing about, and trying to make my way to a town I had never visited before was a daunting prospect, but I can honestly say I have loved every second of it.
Being born and raised as a fan of either code of rugby, most of us are told early on that the other sport is nothing but a terrible version of your own. So, being brought up as a Union fan meant for many years I held League in a fairly low regard.
When I started at University in Huddersfield though my lecturer Chris Irvine, who covers Rugby League for The Times, talked about his love for the game which led me to watching a few matches.
Ever since then I have been struck by the passion of Rugby League supporters. In my home town of Manchester there is a city divided by two football teams, in Leigh there is a town united by its love of rugby league.
Leaving the bus station in town and making my way to the ground at every pub I walk past the colours of Leigh are hung up in the windows, almost everyone is wearing a red and white shirt and most are making their way to the impressive Leigh Sports Village.
League players are generally some of the nicest sporting personalities you are likely to meet. Players take time at the end of games to talk to supporters and be sociable, despite having just thrown their bodies on the line for 80 minutes.
I already feel like a Leigh fan even though I’ve only been to a handful of matches, and I put this down to how accommodating and friendly the staff and supporters are at the club.
There are a number of sports which I have great passion for and Rugby League will gladly be added to the list. Getting into the League vs. Union debate is not something I enjoy as they both have their place, and atmospheres are always friendly at games whatever the code.
Another project I worked on recently was the Festival of World Cups, which had more evidence of the passion people have for the sport.
The Police, Women’s and Student World Cups were held across Yorkshire over a ten day period, and the sheer amount of volunteers who gave up their time to help out was wonderful to see. The Finals day in Leeds saw Australia take all three titles, but even this couldn’t dampen the spirits of everyone involved!
The Rugby World Cup in a few months time will be another great spectacle, with The Centurions hosting Tonga and The Cook Islands for what should be a massively entertaining game.
So, my journey through Rugby League has just begun, but I hope that Leigh will be at the centre of my involvement for as long as possible.
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