TOP coach Eric Hughes is the man Leigh Centurions have chosen to lead the second division club towards the Super League.

Hughes, surprisingly dumped by St Helens in January after two highly-successful seasons, today starts work at Hilton Park on a three-and-half year contract.

He replaces Ian Lucas who was axed on Tuesday after Leigh had only won one of their first five games of the season.

Leigh had to move quickly for Hughes who already had one lucrative offer from Barrow on the table and was being linked with other possible future coaching vacancies.

Negotiations were wrapped up last night with Hughes agreeing a deal that ties him to Hilton Park until the turn of the century.

And Hughes reckons he will need the full length of his contract to get Leigh into the big time.

"Finances dictate that the club can't buy it's way out of trouble so we have to look to develop a team gradually. That obviously takes time," Hughes said today. "The job at Leigh really appealed to me because it's a club with great tradition and potential - a club at the heartbeat of the game.

"It's sad to see them down in the lower reaches of the second division. It's going to be a long haul but we'll get there in the end."

Hughes says his first task will be to assess the club from top to bottom. "There'll be no immediate sweeping changes," he says.

He is realistic enough to admit that Leigh's promotion chances have been badly hit by their poor start to the season.

"Sad to say that it looks highly unlikely we'll get up this season. We'll certainly be giving it a go, but if we don't we'll use the time to assess the strength of the playing staff.

"Long term we have to be aiming to make progress in first division and then challenge for Super League status. I'll try to do with Leigh what I did with Saints. When I left there they were far stronger than when I went in. That's something I'm proud of."

Leigh chairman Mick Higgins is delighted to have landed a coach of such calibre and high profile.

"Eric is highly regarded throughout the game and has the natural qualities we were looking for. His depth of experience in the game and his track record are second to none," he says.

"I'm delighted for the public of Leigh and the sponsors of the club that we've landed such a top coach who has the qualities to take us forward.

"This is the start of a new era for us, one that hopefully will see us make considerable progress."

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