Chase is over as Drinkwater joins race for Super League

Writing exclusively in his weekly column for the Leigh Observer, club owner Derek Beaumont confirmed the 30-year-old has played his last game for the club - just five games into a two-year deal.

Speculation over Chase’s future has rumbled over the past few days.

Beaumont said: “Rangi has struggled to settle in the Championship and has been plagued with little niggling injuries that have stopped him from getting fully going.

“When he has played he has done so with a niggle.

“As he said when he joined us he wanted to fall back in love with the game and do what he liked best playing rugby but unfortunately that hasn’t been possible for most of the time.

Rangi has an opportunity to do something away from the game and having spoken to him at length I had to agree it is probably the best thing for him at this stage, although I do hope at some time in the future he returns to the game as he still has more to offer.

“I think a clean break for a sustained period enjoying something completely different will be just the tonic he needs to retrieve that desire although it may be that he becomes so happy he has played his last game I guess time will tell on that one.

“To that end I have agreed to release him to pursue those options without restriction, although I have obviously protected the club’s interests at the same time as doing right by Rangi.

“Whilst he hasn’t been able to deliver in full what he wanted I would hope our fans can be respectful to him and his privacy and wish him well in his new challenge ahead.”

Earlier this week Centurions announced the signing of Australian half-back Josh Drinkwater until the end of the season.

The 23-year-old was London Broncos’ top points scorer in 2014, and was on the books at NRL side Wests Tigers.

Read Beaumont’s exclusive column only in this week’s Leigh Observer.