'I want to finish career at Leigh'

BBC News

16-07-2025

Leigh Leopards winger Josh Charnley said he wants to stay at the club and has apologised for suggesting he could return to his former side Wigan Warriors next season.The 34-year-old is out of contract at the end of the Super League campaign and currently does not have a deal for 2026. Charnley, who is second on the Super League all-time try-scoring list, added his 250th and 251st tries in Leigh's convincing 28-10 victory against Hull KR on Saturday. He is nine behind Ryan Hall, who has 260.Although his future is not settled, Charnley would like to stay where he is."I'd like to finish [my career] off at Leigh but I'm just trying to enjoy the time that I've got here because I don't know if I'll still be in the squad," he told BBC Radio Manchester's Total Sport programme."I've just got to keep performing, and if something comes at Leigh, I'd grab it with two hands, but I'm just in a bit of limbo mode and I don't know what my future holds."I want to stay in Super League. It's the best in the country and I want to be up there with the top try-scoring talent, but I want to be number one."I'm really enjoying it at Leigh, the way that [owner] Derek [Beaumont] and [head coach] Adrian [Lam] are putting on performances at the club – it's just a good environment to be in at the moment."
Charnley has moved to clarify his position after saying in another interview that he would like to end his career back at Wigan, where he won three Grand Finals and two Challenge Cups. He is also seven tries behind Warriors' top try-scorer in the Super League era, Liam Marshall.Speaking on Sky Sports' The Bench podcast ahead of Leigh's 18-8 win over Wigan on 4 July, Charnley was asked what his "dream scenario" would be in terms of where he would like to end his career."Probably at Wigan. I'm so close to their try-scoring record so there's a little goal there," he said."Wigan gave me the opportunity in this game and it would be good to finish off there if I could."
With that interview now released, Charnley has described its style as "fun" but added he had been "a little naive" when "responding to the question of what would be a 'dream' outcome"."There's a clear difference between reality and a 'dream' and I was simply referencing in a perfect dream world I would protect my Wigan record as well as having the number one record as a try-scorer [for a single season]," Charnley said in a statement., external"I have always been very clear about how happy I am at Leigh Leopards. "It's the best environment in which I have been throughout my career, and I have always been clear that I want to continue my career here."I would like to apologise to my club and its sponsors and fans for any upset the interview has caused and assure everyone my unequivocal commitment is to Leigh Leopards where I hope I am able to remain."Play-off chasing Leigh are currently third in the Super League table, five points behind leaders Hull KR, with nine games of the regular season to go.