BARROW Island product Greg Richards has joined Leigh Centurions from Super League rivals St Helens.

The 22-year-old came through the ranks at Saints after playing his junior rugby at Rating Lane, and was part of the Grand Final-winning team on 2014, when still a teenager.

He made 73 appearances for the Langtree Park club, but the big prop found himself on the sidelines for much of this campaign, providing the opening for Leigh to land him on a deal until the end of next season, with a further one-year option.

Centurions head coach Neil Jukes told the club's official website: “Greg has been at an elite club for a number of years and played a lot of games.

“He is going to bring good habits and plenty of experience, even though he has youth on his side.

“Greg has really bought into our vision and what we want to achieve at Leigh Centurions.

“He sees the opportunities that are in front of us but first of all wants to be part of achieving our goals of maintaining our Super League status.

“Greg will add competition and energy to the middles and he has shown he can do it at the highest level.”

Leigh owner Derek Beaumont added: “Greg is a big lad with a lot of experience for his age and will help stiffen up the middle, giving Jukesy a bit more to choose from.

“It was always my intention to add a middle with losing big Dayne (Weston) and this became even more necessary with the disciplinary charge given to Jamie (Acton).”