Leigh Centurions 30 Barrow Border Raiders 12 by Mike Hulme

NORTHERN Ford Premiership favourites Leigh eased to an opening day victory with the promise of more to come.

Leigh showed in flashes that they will again be a force to be reckoned with after overcoming Barrow's determined challenge.

Head coach Paul Terzis was happy to get Leigh's first win under their belts saying: "We've blown the cobwebs away and if we can increase our completion rate, we'll be more than a match for any side in this division."

Terzis would have been particularly pleased with the performance of new skipper Paul Rowley who gave a display of real Super League quality.

Rowley picked up the last of Leigh's five tries but his all-round game was of the highest quality.

Then there was Neil Turley. Just back from a tour of South Africa with England U21s, the young full-back picked up where he left off last season with a personal points haul of 14 from a try and five goals.

Barrow took a shock lead early on with a try from Mike Whitehead goaled by Phil Atkinson as Leigh struggled to get their game in order.

But once Turley had got them up and running with a penalty, Leigh never looked back. Willie Swann set up Turley's try with a clever kick to the line before Rowley and Turley made inroads into the Barrow defence and Jon Roper scrambled in at the corner to give Leigh a 14-6 half time lead.

Another of Leigh's newcomers, prop Gareth Price, set up the next try with a barnstorming break down the right. Leigh quickly moved the ball left and Liam Bretherton beat his marker to score at the flag.

Barrow missed a couple of gilt-edged chances before winger Paul Salom went 70 metres for an interception try.

Leigh stretched their advantage in the final minute when Rowley capped a top game with a try under the posts.