LEIGH Centurions’ long awaited return to Betfred Super League promises to be a case of lights, camera, action, writes Trevor Baxter.

Nine of Centurions’ opening 23 matches are scheduled for television coverage including an opening night at Castleford Tigers on February 10.

With Friday games dominating the 2017 fixture list, playing under floodlights will become a regular occurrence for Neil Jukes’ Championship destroyers.

But you won’t hear a peep of protest from anyone in the Leigh camp after the club’s 11-year wait to test themselves against the best.

And despite the enormity of their mission Centurions are confident of improving on their last season in the top flight, when they won only two of their 28 games and finished 15 points from safety.

That’s even with a seven-game opening programme that sees home dates against Leeds, St Helens, Huddersfield and Warrington, with away trips to Cas, Wigan and Huddersfield.

“It’s all very real now and seeing our opening fixtures then there will be no weekends off for a poor performance or an average performance,” said Jukes.

“When you see the fixture list it shows we have got to have our best pre-season in the club’s history.

“It is noticeable our first five fixtures are on Friday nights. Normally, if we have a night game, it’s one a season.

“So, there will be a lot of changes to how we train and when we train.

“But I am not going to start complaining about anything because we are confident in what we have been trying to achieve for so long.

“It’s a huge challenge but that’s what we have worked really hard for – to play these top teams week in, week out.”

Jukes admits the publication of next season’s fixtures has finally rammed home Leigh’s status in the rugby league world.

“When I read some of the rugby papers I keep finding myself looking at the Championship pages,” he laughed. “I think ‘what am I doing’?

“I need to start looking at the other pages now.”

And he will also be typing a new postcode into his sat nav.

“Castleford is a team I haven’t been involved against for a number of years,” added the Leigh chief.

“The last time I was there would have been playing there as a young lad.

“Thankfully though we have players who have played in those arenas week in, week out. And coaches who have coached there as well.

“And that’s all been part of bringing all the experience to the club this year.”

* NEIL Jukes has welcomed an initiative next season enabling Leigh and Salford season ticket holders to watch games at their rival clubs for half price apart from the respective Super League fixtures.

“If it gets more people through our door and likewise at Salford then it’s got to be good,” he said. “It’s another added incentive for fans to snap up a season ticket.