LEIGH Centurions' future as a Division One club is likely to be secured for three years if the game votes for a 'no relegation' policy tomorrow.

But despite which way the vote goes, it won't worry coach Keith Latham.

"In one way it would be nice to be secure in the knowledge that we're safe from relegation, but we want to secure our future on merit not by a mere change of rules," he says.

"We received criticism in some quarters when we were fast-tracked to Division One. They said we weren't good enough to survive at this level.

"We know that we are capable of making our mark in Division One and while that first win was a long time coming, the players had the belief that they were better than the results indicated."

The RL Council will be asked to suspend relegation from Division One for the next three years.

Super League have already scrapped relegation for this season and the First and Second Division Clubs Association (FASDA) have taken steps to follow suit.

The plan is to promote three teams from Division Two at the end of this summer, taking the number of teams in Division One to 14 for 1999, and to promote two next year to bring the total to 16 by 2000.

The remaining five second division clubs will be supplemented by teams from outside the game's heartland.

Leigh will be hoping they can carry their Widnes form to Post Office Road on Sunday where a victory over Steve Simms' Featherstone will move them off the bottom of the table.

"Now we've broken the ice a lot of pressure has been released from the players," acknowledges Latham.

"There's still a tremendous amount of hard work to do and Featherstone won't be easy. But we have the confidence to go there and do well.

"Simmsy will want to do well against his old club but they've hardly set the world on fire and have only won three of six games."

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