Keiron Cunningham prepared for battle as Leigh face Million Pound Game

Twelve months ago Keiron Cunningham was preparing his St Helens side for a semi-final but his focus now is firmly on the other end of Super League.

The former Wales and Great Britain hooker took up the role of head of rugby at Leigh following his sacking by Saints and finds himself involved in the dreaded Million Pound Game against Catalans Dragons at the Sports Village on Saturday.

Tony Smith likened the game to a “train smash” after guiding Warrington to safety while this time last year former England captain Jamie Peacock described it as a “car crash” as he prepared to play in it for Hull KR against Salford.

“I’ve never been involved in this part of the game,” Cunningham said. “If you look back to last year, some of the stuff Jamie Peacock said drew some flippant comments but, when you are involved in it, it sort of resonates.

“It’s the coliseum isn’t it? Somebody dies and somebody survives, it’s as simple as that. It’s a great spectator event but it’s not good for your players.”

At least Cunningham knows his newly-signed three-year contract will be honoured after owner Derek Beaumont pledged to keep the Centurions full-time in the event of relegation to the Championship, which may not be the case with the French club.

Beaumont said: “I feel sorry – if that’s the right word – for Catalans to be in a position where they are potentially 80 minutes away from being relegated when they finished 10th in a 12-team competition.

“It just seems madness that that could actually be the case. It’s not the weakest team that gets relegated.”

Beaumont is lobbying for an expansion of Super League to 13 or 14 teams but that will come too late for the losers on Saturday and he will have some sympathy for the Dragons if they are relegated for the first time in their 12-year history.

“Obviously I want to see us survive ahead of them but personally I genuinely wouldn’t want to see Catalans out of Super League,” Beaumont said.

“People enjoy going over there, they make it the highlight of the season and a lot of our fans made it their holiday. I think Catalans are good for the game.”

Former England coach Steve McNamara, who took over the Dragons just three months ago, is hoping chairman and founder Bernard Guasch will stick by the club in the event of relegation.

“I’ve not spoken to Bernard about what he’ll do if we lose,” McNamara said. “However, he’s been a massive and proud supporter of the club, even before it came into Super League.”

The Dragons are boosted by the return of experienced Australian forward Greg Bird, who succeeded in having a four-match ban cut to three, while Leigh club captain Micky Higham is set to return, alongside overseas trio Samisoni Langi, Mitch Brown and Cory Paterson, after a three-match absence with a virus.

“It would be great to be in the mix and have an influence,” said Higham, who at 37 could be the oldest player in Super League next season. “We will be treating it as a cup final and it’s time for our big-game players to step up.”