Calls for legal challenge if Toulouse earn promotion to Super League
Derek Beaumont owner of Leigh Centurions applauds the home supporters after seeing his team win for the first time this season
Leigh owner Derek Beaumont says there should be a legal challenge if Toulouse are promoted to Super League.
Toulouse are heavy favourites to replace the Centurions in the top flight, after winning 13 from 13 in the Championship – albeit one of those was a forfeit by London Broncos.
With part-time teams opting not to travel to France due to the quarantine restrictions impacting on their return, Toulouse haven’t played one game all season, though did arrange two “home” fixtures to take place at Swinton’s Heywood Road.
Nearest rivals Featherstone have won 19 out of 20 league games to date, but were deducted a win for breaching coronavirus protocols.
Beaumont told BBC Radio Manchester: “If you look at it from Mark Campbell’s point of view as well, at Featherstone, is he getting a fair fight? I don’t believe he is.
“You know, Toulouse haven’t played all their games, they’ve not played all their home games, they’ve not had to do the travelling home and away, you don’t get the same amount of injuries, suspensions, fatigue, they’ve not endured the same season.
“It’s far from fair. So I’m not saying they shouldn’t promote anyone. I just think that, legally, there’s a challenge, if Toulouse get promoted and I think, legally, there’s a challenge if Leigh get relegated.”
In his programme notes ahead of their win over Wakefield on Sunday, Beaumont slammed the attitude of his players in an extraordinary outburst.
I’ve read a lot of programme notes over the years…never seen anything like this…part of me thinking ‘car crash’, part of me thinking Derek Beaumont within his rights if situation at Leigh is that bad… pic.twitter.com/iggc1INp0S
— Paul Kendrick (@PKendrickWIG) September 12, 2021
He called their Magic Weekend defeat to Hull KR “absolutely disgraceful” and said he was “disgusted, appalled and insulted” after they shipped 34 points without reply in the second half.
He added: “It was a complete collapse, a surrender of belief and desire and will to give pride to the situation. I felt hurt by it and still do.
“Do I care what response I get as a result of them reading this? Not at all as they can decide what history they want to be part of and how they represent themselves.”
Though it probably wasn’t intended as a motivational speech, Leigh won only their second game all season – beating Wakefield 26-18 thanks to a Ryan Brierley hat-trick.
