Juke: Our starts need to improve

Leigh coach Neil Jukes says the Centurions have to get better at starting games off.

Leigh won 30-24 at Featherstone Rovers last weekend to maintain their position at the top of the league.

Coach Neil Jukes said: “We got four of our five tries through just playing hard, playing real tough, real direct. I say to this group all the time that when we put eight, nine, 10 sets together, there aren’t a lot of teams that can live with us. We’ve got to get better at the starts of our games.

“I think as a club, as a team, we’re growing and results like at Featherstone help that. We are getting some players back, so I think we are a lot healthier regarding numbers.

“I’m pleased with where they are at in regards to their attitude and staying together. Technically we can get a little bit better but I guess a lot of coaches will say that about their teams.”

Leigh host Batley on Sunday. The Bulldogs lost 32-24 at home to Swinton Lions in their last match.

Coach John Kear said: “I was hugely disappointed that areas we’d identified that we needed to focus on, we didn’t. We’d had problems starting halves against both London and Oldham, it was a massive focus for the match against Featherstone and we started really well and were in the game straightaway.

“Against Swinton we had six sets and completed four – they had 16 and completed 15. By that time they were 18 points up. Our start to the game was absolutely woeful and we never recovered.

“Leigh are a quality team. It’s a great surface at Leigh Sports Village and they love playing there, it suits their brand of rugby. We know we’ll be challenged.

“We’re absolutely down to the bare bones. We’ve got five players who will potentially be making their debuts and we’re having to do that because of the injury list.”