LEIGH will have their new coach in place by the end of the week.

Interviews of the six candidates will be concluded tomorrow with an announcement expected on Thursday or Friday.

Former Hilton Park assistant coach Keith Lathom, now with amateur neighbours Leigh East, was the first before the selection panel of chairman Mick Higgins, football director Allan Rowley and commercial manager Simon Haworth.

Ex-Halifax, Oldham and Great Britain prop John Fieldhouse has also been short-listed along with Australian full-back Steve Gibson and Salford's Steve Hampson.

Gibson, who had 18 months in charge at Rochdale, is currently playing with Swinton and along with Hampson could attract Leigh in player-coach roles.

Gibson was interviewed last night with Hampson joining the final three candidates tomorrow.

Welsh national coach and assistant Great Britain boss Clive Griffiths is the one big name in the field.

He will meet Leigh officials tomorrow after returning from recent the Lions tour.

The name of the sixth candidate is not being disclosed.

Meanwhile Leigh are still waiting for their first firm enquiry for Tongan centre Jimmy Veikoso.

Swinton have been linked with a possible bid for the £45,000-listed star but interest appears to have cooled after talks with the players' agent.

Veikoso is still determined to move on to a bigger club but says that if there is no movement on the transfer front he will honour his contract at Leigh which runs until December 1997.

The 25-year-old says he and his new wife are happily settled in Leigh but he feels he's reached a stage in his career where an upwards move would be of benefit.

"I was disappointed when Eric Hughes left the club and after some careful thought I put in a written transfer request," says Veikoso.

"I want to play at the highest level my ability will allow. When Eric left the club I felt that my only way to improve my career would be to move on to a bigger club.

"The people in Leigh have been fantastic to us and I would love to be able to repay them on the pitch. If I don't find another club, then I'm prepared to stay at Leigh and do my best for the people."

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