DUFFY PLOTTING BIG SCARE RAID
JOHN DUFFY has warned Leigh to expect the fright of their lives today in their opening Middle 8s game.
The Centurions have suffered a tough year back in Super League, finishing second bottom of the table.
And new Featherstone Rovers coach Duffy is determined to pile on the pressure for them at the LD Nutrition Stadium this afternoon.
He said: “This is a massive week for everyone involved in the club – and it is an exciting one, too.
“The team is capable of getting off to a great start in the Qualifiers. A victory could prove a catalyst for something very special.
“Leigh are a full-time Super League side and have been operating at high-intensity levels all season.
“But they are beatable and we will do everything in our power to get what would be a terrific job done.”
Duffy, who took over from sacked coach Jon Sharp last month, already has one major scalp to his credit this season. His former Swinton Lions side knocked Super League Huddersfield out of the fifth round of the Challenge Cup, winning 28-24. Leigh owner Derek Beaumont says that he is well aware of the threat posed by the part-time Championship club. He said: “It promises to be a cracker. Featherstone are, without a doubt, the biggest threat in the Qualifiers – they are very dangerous. “It is going to be tough for any Championship team to make the automatic promotion places, but Featherstone have got a real chance of getting to the Million Pound Game. “The Featherstone we will face on Saturday is vastly improved on the team that we narrowly defeated last season. “This weekend is very dangerous for us and we are taking nothing for granted. We will need to be at our best.”