Leigh excited for first Magic Weekend

For the first time since 2012, there will be a new face at the Magic Weekend – Leigh Centurions.

The Centurions will become the 16th different team to play at the RFL’s flagship mid-season event, now in its 11th year.

They will be hoping to curb an eight game losing streak when they take on Salford Red Devils on Sunday (3.15pm).

Winger Matty Dawson is no stranger to Magic Weekend, having turned out for St Helens and Huddersfield in the past.

He said: “It’s a big occasion, as it is for everyone. It’s the closest thing you get to playing in a Grand Final stadium wise. I’m sure the boys who’ve not played at this level before are very excited about it.

“It’s a massively well known stadium and I’ve played here before so I’ve had the pleasure of doing that. I’ve told a few of the boys it’s a unique atmosphere, the fans are on top of you a lot more than normal grounds you play at.”

Since a terrific 22-8 win over Warrington in front of the Sky Sports TV cameras on 16th March, the Centurions early season bubble has well and truly been burst in a losing run that also saw them crash out of the Challenge Cup at home to Championship side Hull KR.

Dawson added: “With it being a different occasion and not playing a ground we’ve played at before, hopefully we can soak up that atmosphere and use it to our advantage, and use it as a stepping stone to put us up the table a little bit.

“We’re not doing too much wrong, it’s just little inconsistencies and making too many errors in games.

“Obviously you don’t want to be down there, but we believe the squad we’ve got is good enough to stay in Super League and that’s the aim at the end of the day.”