Leigh “need to win virtually every game” to make top four

Leigh coach Kieron Purtill says the club will have to go on their best ever run to make the Championship top four after another defeat at the weekend.

The Centurions were beaten 38-18 by Halifax to fall to their fifth defeat in six games so far this season.

Since the Super 8s format was adopted, no team that has lost more than eight matches in the 23 games has made it in to the top four.

Leigh still have to travel to Toronto, Toulouse and Featherstone – who have all beaten the Centurions at Leigh Sports Village this season – and early pacesetters London.

Purtill said: “I think the club will have to win virtually every single game they’ve got left to finish in that top four and there’s no getting away from it – we’d have to go on the best run this club has ever been on.

““It was massively disappointing. As a group, collectively as staff and players we are embarrassed by what we are turning up at the moment. It’s not good enough for this club.

“Apologies to Derek (Beaumont). He has invested a lot and the fans who week in, week out follow us.

“That performance and the performances in the last few weeks are not good enough.

“There was some encouragement in the second half. There is some fight left in this team but we can’t toss up a first half performance like that and put so much pressure on ourselves to try and come back.

“It’s a massive blow to our top four hopes.”

Leigh topped the Championship table in 2014, 2015 and 2016, losing just one game in each season.

In 2013, they lost eight in a 26-game season to finish fourth.

They take a break from Championship action next week, taking on Batley in the Challenge Cup.