ADAM Higson will miss Leigh’s next five games after being banned for his high and late tackle on Gareth O’Brien during Centurions 36-22 defeat to Salford at Magic Weekend.

The winger, 30, faced a potential eight match suspension after being charged with an ‘intentional’ Grade E offence.

But he will still miss Friday’s trip to Hull, the televised Bank Holiday home game with Castleford plus fixtures with Leeds, Wigan and Widnes.

Coach Neil Jukes, who questions the severity of the grading, says Higson could use the unwanted spell on the side lines to clear up some niggling injuries.

“We will use the time Adam has off wisely,” said Jukes.

“Whether that is getting a volume of work in him. Or whether he has a bit of a clean out of his knee that won’t effect us going through the 8s competitions, that’s what we will do.

“It was obviously not a great tackle and has made the headlines. But I was surprised the grading was so severe.

“He did one (tackle) in the first half and got it spot on. This time he timed it wrongly and if you don’t get it right it can look ugly.

“But it isn’t the first time someone gets sent off for a high tackle and it won’t be the last.”

On the credit side, prop Jamie Acton is free from suspension and available for tomorrow’s trip to Hull FC, still smarting from their 45-0 Newcastle drubbing by St Helens.

But skipper Micky Higham is out for a further month after suffering another hamstring problem.

Despite Leigh’s run of nine league and cup defeats Ben Crooks. Is relishing a trip to the KCOM Stadium.

The Centurions centre was selected into the Super League Dream Team on the back of his performances for the Black and Whites in 2013.

Crooks, 24 next month, then faces parent club, Castleford, on Bank Holiday as part of his 12-month loan spell away from the Jungle.

Despite the ties with Leigh’s next two opponents Crooks says: “This year I am a Leigh player and I am busting a gut trying to do whatever I can for this team to keep them in Super League.

“I said that to Neil Jukes at the start of the year and nothing has changed. I go out each week wearing the Leigh shirt and wearing it with pride.

“I am doing my best for the club and regardless who we play I will be putting in 100 percent.”

Crooks scored one of Leigh’s four tries against Salford but admits it was another frustrating 80 minutes for last season’s Championship kings “We say the same thing every week and it’s our own downfall. There were times when we were really in the game but daft little errors and giving away penalties are costing us.

“There is an inconsistency in our game. One week we are up on something and down somewhere else “The following week we nail what we were down on before but something else slips. We need to get better and more consistent on everything we are doing.

“But we have always got the next week to put things right.

“That’s all you can focus on.”

On Higson’s moment of madness on his 150 appearance for the club, Crooks added: “It was a mistake.

“But he is not that sort of bloke who would want to hurt anyone.”