INSTEAD of lining up for Oldham against the Centurions on Sunday, Aussie forward Darren Shaw could be sitting on Leigh's bench! writes Mike Hulme

Shaw has emerged as one of the front-runners to take over as coaching assistant to Hilton Park boss Paul Terzis following the double resignations of Darren Abram and Norman Turley in the off-season.

Shaw, a long-time Leigh target as a player, has joined John Pendlebury and Harvey Howard as the contenders to land the number two job with the Centurions.

Formerly with Castleford, London and Salford, Shaw has indicated he would retire from playing in an effort to secure his release from Oldham and take the Leigh position.

"One way or another I will have an assistant in place before Sunday's game against Oldham," says Terzis.

Leigh-born Pendlebury was Coach of the Year after guiding Halifax to third place in Super League in 1998. He resigned in 1999 after the club ran into financial trouble and has been out of the pro game ever since.

"John has been interviewed and came across very well," added Terzis. "We are also still waiting for a firm 'yes' or 'no' from Harvey Howard.

"Darren (Shaw) actually applied for job but his position is complicated by the fact that he is contracted to Oldham for this season. How Oldham would react to use wanting to sign Darren as a player-coach I don't know but Darren has indicated that he would be prepared to retire as a player to land this job. He is desperate to break into coaching."

Terzis admits that Oldham will have the edge in preparation when the two sides kick off the new season at the start of the Arriva Trains National Cup.

Two attempts by Leigh to play Warrington in a warm-up game were wrecked by the weather with the Centurions' only pre-season work-out coming against Warrington-based NW Counties Division Three side Bank Quay Bulls at Hilton Park last night.

"Ideally we needed more game time. Oldham have already one full 80 minutes under their belts with a Law Cup game against Rochdale and they've just returned from a five day warm weather training camp in Spain," Terzis points out.

"But my lads have been flying in training and are straining at the leash to get going. Oldham have strengthened their squad considerably since last season and will be a threat this year."

Four of Oldham's new recruits were in Leigh colours last season but two of them, Paul Anderson (ankle) and Chris Irwin (back) are struggling for fitness. However, Chris Morley and Simon Svabic are both likely to figure in Sunday's game at Hilton Park.