Ex-Castleford Tigers captain and Warrington Wolves assistant-boss Andrew Henderson takes Leigh Leopards role

Leigh Leopards have appointed Henderson as director of rugby, having moved from a similar position at York Knights. The 46-year-old, who was born in Torquay but grew up in Australia, made 115 appearances for Tigers from 2005-2008.

He later had spells as coach of London Broncos and York, was an assistant at Warrington Wolves and also spent time on Keighley Cougars’ backroom staff. Henderson said: “Leigh is a club with a proud history, a passionate fanbase and an ambition that truly resonates with me.

“The chance to contribute to the next chapter of this organisation is one I accept with great enthusiasm and a strong sense of responsibility. I’m looking forward to working with the club hierarchy, head coach Adrian Lam, all staff, players and the wider organisation to help drive performance, development and long‑term sustained success. I believe there is a very exciting future ahead for the Leigh Leopards.”

Leigh’s previous director of rugby Chris Chester now holds that position at Tigers. Leigh chief executive Neil Jukes added: “We’ve been looking to fill this role for quite some time. While we had plenty of interest, it was important we held our nerve to secure the right person to fill such a vital role within the business.

“[Henderson’s] CV within the professional game across many different roles speaks for itself. It was abundantly clear he has the drive, enthusiasm, commitment and knowledge to ensure short- and long-term objectives are met. He will jump straight in with Adrian, his staff and our players ensuring they are the best version of themselves as well as navigating through some longer term objectives.”