LIFE after Keith Latham started for his old pal Norman Turley with a line from a Frank Sinatra classic.

"I'll do it my way," declared the new Leigh Centurions coach as he settled into the Hilton Park hot seat.

No one was more surprised than the former assistant boss to find himself handed total control after Latham quit earlier in the week.

"I've been as close to Keith as anyone over many, many years and I'll be the first to admit that I didn't see any signs that he was thinking of chucking it in," Turley revealed.

"To say the news came as a shock is an understatement. The players were equally shocked to find that he'd gone because he commanded so much respect. Nobody had an inkling.

"His input will be greatly missed but we have to adopt a professional attitude and start to prepare for the future without him.

"Personally I'm greatly honoured to be asked to take over as head coach of my home town team and it's even better to know that the players are fully behind me.

"Everything has happened so quickly that I've only just started to think about how I will approach the job but one thing I'm determined to do, is to do it my way.

"But anyone expecting sweeping changes will be disappointed. I think the crucial thing not to lose sight of is continuity.

"Keith has put so many good things in place at Leigh, that it would be crazy to just toss all that away.

"Naturally I have my own ideas in one or two areas but generally I want the transition to be a smooth one."

Turley made his mark straight away, calling the senior squad in for an extra training session last night as they prepare for Sunday's home clash with Dewsbury Rams.

Turley, vastly-travelled in his playing days, and who brings with him previous coaching experience at Trafford Borough, Workington and Whitehaven, has the full backing of chairman Mick Higgins.

He says: "Norman will be able to commit himself 100 per cent to the job, which latterly Keith wasn't able to do.

"He's ambitious and desperately wants to make a success of the job and wants it on a permanent basis."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.