LEIGH Centurions have recruited Wigan Warriors’ Josh Woods on a one-year loan arrangement.

Woods, 20, came up through the ranks of Leigh East club before graduating through the Warriors academy ranks.

Woods said: “I can’t wait to pull on a Leigh Centurions shirt.

“It all feels a bit weird at the moment. I’ve supported Leigh all my life and it will be great to play for the Club.

“I will still train at Wigan every day and join up with Leigh on a Thursday evening for the team training so I’ll get the best of both worlds.

“Everyone at Wigan has been brilliant with me and they think this will develop my game and they’re fully behind me.

“In the long run it will hopefully help me achieve my ambition of being a regular Super League player.

“I have watched Ridy all the time during his career at Leigh and it will be brilliant to play alongside him.

“I can learn so much off him and I have so much respect for him.

“My mum, dad, grandma and granddad are all excited about me playing for Leigh and it will be great to play at LSV in front of all my family and friends.”

Head coach John Duffy said: “It will be a dream come true for Josh and his dad, Mick as they are both ardent Leigh Centurions fans and season ticket holders on the North Stand.

“Josh is a very classy halfback and has already gained a lot of experience in both Super League and the Championship, playing on dual registration in the past two seasons at Swinton Lions.

“I coached him at both Wigan and Swinton and he reminded me of a young Lee Briers and that’s high praise. He can read a game so well and can kick with both feet, which is very rare.

“He will be so excited to be playing alongside Ridy (Martyn Ridyard) and he’ll greatly benefit from the experience he’ll get here.

“This will serve him and Wigan Warriors well in the future, so it’s a win-win for everyone.

“Josh has dreamed of playing for Leigh since he was a kid so will be itching to pull on a Leigh shirt for the first time and it will be a special moment for his dad, who’s a great bloke, and the rest of the family.”

Josh Woods made his Wigan debut against Salford in May 2017 and also played against Warrington Wolves at the Magic Weekend as well as playing seven games for Swinton during that season on dual registration.

In 2018 he played a further eleven games for Wigan, hitting a dramatic last minute drop goal to steer his side to victory over Warrington at the DW Stadium. He also played a further 13 games for Swinton, including their Championship Shield defeat at LSV in September.

Josh Woods is sponsored by CatonLloyd Audio Visual Solutions.

Managing Director David Lloyd said: “ We’re excited to sponsor a player of Josh’s calibre and welcome him to the Club. We’re all looking forward to seeing him playing alongside Ridy and the rest of the team.

“This is another big step in the right direction for Leigh Centurions and the perfect opportunity for us as a company to get involved with supporting the Club,”

To enquire about player sponsorship for the 2019 season please contact the commercial department on 01942 487818 or email: matthew.chantler@leighrl.co.uk