INTERNATIONAL back rower Dave Bradbury has been given the chance to fulfil a lifetime dream and join his hometown club.

Bradbury, out of contract at Huddersfield Giants, has had one round of talks with Leigh Centurions head coach Paul Terzis and they hope to tie up a deal before the Atherton-based star links up with Ireland for the Lincoln World Cup.

"We want Bradbury and Bradbury wants us," confirms Terzis. "Now it's up to us to come up with a financial package that suits the player and the club. I'm very optimistic that we can do that."

Bradbury, 28, toured Papua New Guinea, Fiji and New Zealand with Great Britain in 1996 and has considerable Super League experience with Oldham, Salford and Huddersfield after a junior career at Leigh Miners.

"Dave's passion to join Leigh was the over-riding thing that struck me about our talks," adds Terzis.

"He's always held a dream to play for his hometown club at some stage of his career and hopefully we can fulfil that ambition.

"Dave is a forward of genuine Super League quality, has good communication skills and will be a great influence on and off the pitch."

Bradbury isn't the only player Leigh are talking to. They are in negotiation with Chorley Lynx winger Dave Jones and are showing an interest in Wigan reserve grade prop or second rower Rob Ball who spent the early part of his career at Hilton Park. Salford forward Carlo Napolitano is training with the Centurions in an attempt to win a contract after being released from the Willows.

Leigh are also still pursuing Aussie pair Jamie Gass and Michael Watts, both of whom have worked with Terzis in the past.

One has already had his application for a British passport approved by the Australian authorities while paperwork for an Irish passport for the second is being processed.

"Once the two applications are approved we will then need confirmation from the RFL that they won't count on the overseas quota," reveals Terzis. "When that process is complete we can make the next move.

Gass, a prop or second rower, with first grade experience at Illawarra Steelers, Wests and Norths, and Watts, a full-back, winger or centre who has played for the Steelers and St George, would pay their own way over to Leigh and play for match payments only.

Popular Aussie Heath Cruckshank, unluckily cut by Leigh when the quota was reduced from two to one, has joined NFP rivals Sheffield Eagles.