CENTURIONS owner Derek Beaumont’s playful pre season prediction was for Leigh to win every Championship game in 2016.

So, after his crystal ball shattered after just 80 minutes of the new Kingstone Press Championship campaign it’s a good job the club’s high profile figurehead added a get out of jail rejoinder.

“If we lose a game will I say ‘what a fool I look,’ Beaumont suggested after his call for a perfect run of victories.

“No, because it is banter,” he added.

There was much banter in evidence, however, at Mount Un-Pleasant after Leigh’s last gasp defeat to John Kear’s win hungry Bulldogs.

It wasn’t until June 7 when the Centurions lost for the first time in 2015; London Broncos ending a 27-game unbeaten streak at the Hive.

And Leigh protected a 100 percent record until July 13 in 2014 before Doncaster beat them 24-16 at the Keepmoat Stadium.

Thanks to Pat Walker’s last minute penalty following a Rangi Chase indiscretion, hopes of a clean sweep of regular season victories is already over.

It was hardly the start Neil Jukes wanted to his head coaching career and certainly not one the club was looking for after a tumultuous end to pre season caused by Paul Rowley’s shock resignation.

“The lads prepared well but we weren’t consistent enough for long periods,” said Jukes, handing a first Leyther appearance off the bench to Reni Maitua.

“When we got through our sets we were difficult to deal with and went 10 in front. When we didn’t do that, on the back of a resilient Batley side, we put ourselves in trouble.

“We are hugely disappointed, me more than anyone. What is important is we don’t panic. We are a new side and what didn’t help was trying to show off that brilliance.

“We just needed to be smarter because there were enough experienced players out there. We just needed to do the simple things right but we didn’t do it consistently enough.”

Leigh, with Chase at full-back and without latest recruit, Lee Smith, led on three occasions. Ryan Brierley’s first touch down of the campaign just before the hour and Martyn Ridyard’s third goal out of four attempts made it 22-12.

Leigh, 26-12 winners on the same ground last season, still held their 10 points advantage going into the final 13 minutes.

But ex Sheffield Eagles favourite Dom Brambani’s 40/20 engineered a position from which Samoan centre Chris Ulugia grabbed his second try of the game.

The Bradford Bulls loanee hadn’t finished and it was his pass that put in ex Wigan flyer, Shaun Ainscough to score. Walker, like Brambani, moving over from Sheffield in the close season, added the extras to tie the scores.

And when Chase tripped sub forward Tom Lillycrop referee Gareth Hewer awarded the penalty for Walker to coolly knock over.

Earlier, Andrew Dixon, Tom Armstrong and Leigh man of the match, Micky Higham, touched down for the visitors.

James Brown grabbed Batley’s opening try while Walker (3) and Brambani (1) shared the goals.

Teams: Batley: D Scott; Reittie, Squires, Ulugia, Ainscough; Southernwood, Brambani; Hirst, Blake, Gledhill, S Scott, Chandler, Walker; subs: Day, Davey, Lillycrop, Brown.

Leigh: Chase; Higson, Worthington, Armstrong, Kay; Ridyard, Brierley, Moimoi, Higham, Weston, Hansen, Dixon, Emmitt; subs: Maitua, Spencer, Foster, Hopkins.

Referee: Gareth Hewer.

Attendance: 1678.