Squad numbers for Centurions

2:14pm Wednesday 15th October 2008

LEIGH Centurions will be playing in Super League-type squad numbers next season.

All clubs in National Leagues One and Two have agreed to name a squad of 25 players before the start of the 2009 season, each of whom will have their own squad number.

As an economy measure, however, any players introduced above and beyond that initial number will not necessarily be given their own unique squad number.

Instead, any player selected from outside the initial 25-man squad with wear a number between 30-40 that will not carry his name.

The proposal is designed to have to pay for named shirts for player who make a limited number of appearances.

However, once a player has made six appearances for a National League club, he will then be allocated a specific squad number between 26-30 that will carry his name.

Next season the National Leagues will also abandon match programmes, instead having a weekly centrally produced programme that will cover at National League clubs.

And each National League club will have its centrally distributed income from the RFL raised from £40,000 to £100,000, although to qualify for the full amount the clubs will have to agree to make certain key appointments.