LEIGH Centurions face an exhausting end to their season following a decision that the Premiership competition for clubs in divisions one and two is to be grouped into four regional pools.

The competition will begin on July 27, after the end of the league campaign, and each club will play eight pool matches in a tight timetable between then and September 7.

Several rounds of fixtures are scheduled for Wednesday evenings, meaning that players will face a stiff programme of two games a week for several weeks.

Leigh have been put in Pool C along with Keighley Cougars, Rochdale Hornets, Swinton Lions and Widnes Vikings.

The top two sides in each pool will go into the quarter-finals to be played on September 14.

Dropped from the tournament will be the bottom two teams in the second division - currently Doncaster Dragons and Prescot Panthers.

The eight clubs reaching the quarter-finals will be placed in an open draw for a knockout competition. The Premiership final will be played on September 28.

Any player transferred after August 18 will not be eligible for the remaining pool fixtures or the knockout stages of the competition.

Pool A: Featherstone Rovers, Hull Sharks, Hull KR, Wakefield Trinity and York.

Pool B: Batley Bulldogs, Bramley, Dewsbury Rams, Huddersfield Giants, Hunslet Hawks.

Pool C: Keighley Cougars, Leigh Centurions, Rochdale Hornets, Swinton Lions, Widnes Vikings.

Pool D: Barrow Braves, Carlisle Raiders, Lancashire Lynx, Whitehaven Warriors, Workington Town.

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