Ex-Leigh Leopards trio see roles with League 1 club confirmed for 2025
From left to right: Tom Spencer, Martyn Ridyard and Gregg McNally in action for Leigh during the club's time under the 'Centurions' tagline
Rochdale Hornets have locked in their backroom team for 2025, with ex-Leigh trio Gregg McNally, Martyn Ridyard and Tom Spencer all set to combine their playing duties with off-field roles.
Team-mates during the now-Super League outfit’s time under the ‘Centurions’ tagline, the trio amassed a combined 549 appearances for Leigh.
Topping the Championship numerous times and all featuring in Super League during their stints at the Leigh Sports Village, they will all now form part of Gary Thornton’s staff in 2025 after Spencer came out of retirement to join the Hornets.
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Ex-Leigh Leopards trio see roles with League 1 club Rochdale Hornets confirmed for 2025
Across their three CVs, there are almost 900 senior career appearances – with McNally featuring 12 times on the international stage for Ireland.
The Cumbria native, who will turn 34 in January, returned to Rochdale for a second stint ahead of the 2024 campaign and combines his on-field duties with an assistant coach role.
38-year-old Ridyard also returned for his second stint at the Crown Oil Arena ahead of last season, and will play on into 2025 alongside his role as one of Thornton’s assistants.
The Salford-born playmaker, who spent a large chunk of the 2024 campaign out injured, needs to score just 167 points to reach the milestone of 3,000 in his career.
Wigan-born Spencer meanwhile hasn’t donned a shirt in the ‘professional’ section of the British game’s pyramid since 2022 with Oldham.
The Hornets will become the eighth club of the prop’s career next year, and he will combine his on-field duties with a role as the League 1 club’s new Strength & Conditioning coach.
Elsewhere, Anthony Thewliss will be Thornton’s other assistant, while Scott Leyland arrives at the Crown Oil Arena to take up a position as Rochdale‘s new performance analyst
Leyland too has connections to Leigh having carried out a similar role for the Leopards last term under Adrian Lam.
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