Halifax miss out as Smith joins Leigh

Leigh Centurions have beaten Championship rivals Halifax to the signature of second rower Paul Smith, who quit Swinton as player-coach last week.

The 34-year-old former Huddersfield and Halifax player has joined Ian Millward's team until the end of the season.

"Once I knew Leigh were interested with Ian Millward as coach, fantastic facilities and seeing their results so far, I wanted to join the team," he said.

Millward said: "He was about to sign with Halifax and we are glad that we were able to bring him over to Leigh. He will add a lot of experience to our team."