Interim Leigh boss Kurt Haggerty believes his side are ready for their first win of season ahead of the Centurions’ clash against Hull FC

Leigh Centurions’ interim head coach Kurt Haggerty thinks that the mentality of his team is changing for the better as they prepare to take on Hull FC and in search of their first victory of the season.

Since being promoted, the Centurions are yet to pick up a point but have run teams close in recent weeks since the departure of former head coach John Duffy and the step up from assistant to interim boss by former player Kurt Haggerty.

The 32-year-old spoke to Prost International in his pre-match press conference earlier this week.

“I don’t think that we’re far off [a win]at all and I know that the players can feel it too. We’ve got to get used to being in close games again, get a feel for it, and come out the other side by working hard for each other to tie up key areas that we’ve analysed as a group.

“We now have a genuine belief that we can win games which is driving us forward. I think that because we’d lost so many games on the bounce, we’d forgotten what it feels like to actually win and to be competitive. It’s getting used to being in the big moments again and learning how to break the cycle [of losing].

“The players have started to realise from being in games at the 50 and 60-minute marks, that they can go on and win it, and for me that’s the key. I spoke to one of the players earlier and he had a big smile on his face. There’s been a real edge around training this week because we all feel that there’s something coming for us, we know that we aren’t too far off.”

One of those close games referenced by Haggerty came last weekend at home to table-topping French outfit Catalans Dragons where despite the defeat, Leigh still had plenty of positives to take.

The Centurions lead 18-12 at half-time and lost out by just six points come the sound of the full-time hooter, defeated 30-36. The difference between the two sides ultimately being a 25-minute period at the start of the second-half where the Dragons ran in 24 unanswered points.

Haggerty reflected on that game and looked ahead to this weekend’s opponent who sit fifth in the Super League table at the time of writing.

“If we take away that period [of the Catalan defeat], I thought that we were the best side for large parts of the game. In fact, I know it’s all ‘if’s, but’s and maybe’s’, but we could have come away with the win and quite comfortably, not just clawing it.

“We did have that 15-minute period where teams like Catalan will hurt you though and you can’t switch off in the Super League. I think the more games we get like that, the momentum will swing and we will come away with more wins than losses in them.

“Hull FC are a very good side with great ability to strike all over the field. We’ve got to be very good defensively to handle their big men and we have to get numbers around those players in particular when they carry the ball.”

Haggerty will be hoping that his side can string a good performance against Hull FC as the Centurions search for the glorious first victory of the season.

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