Sunday 17 December 2017 22:39, UK
Relegated Leigh have made another statement of intent by announcing the signing of Papua New Guinea hooker Kurt Baptiste.
The 26-year-old, an ever-present as Papua New Guinea reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup this year, has joined from NRL club Canberra Raiders on a one-year contract.
The Centurions will begin their first season back in the Championship with a new-look side, with Peter Mata'utia, Bodene Thompson and Craig Hall among the other off-season recruits.
"Kurt's signature is a huge coup for the club," said Leigh head coach Neil Jukes.
"On and off the field he will add great leadership values and bring the quality trends he has developed from two elite environments in the [Brisbane] Broncos and the Raiders.
Baptiste made 56 appearances for Canberra during his four-season spell while he featured for his country four times in the recent World Cup campaign, and Jukes believes he can make a positive impact at Leigh.
He added: "His energy, control and running game will be infectious for the players around him and with the staff look forward to enhancing those skills further."
