Kieron Purtill‘s team achieved their goal of reaching the Betfred Super League after an outstanding campaign in which they won all 16 league games before successfully negotiating three grand finals to earn their place in the top flight. 

 

The squad has several newcomers including the highly experienced Alice Fisher, a former Bradford Bulls and Wigan Warriors forward who is a serving member of the RAF. Alice is appointed joint vice captain alongside livewire hooker Kate Howard with Storm Cobain given the honour of captaining the side after Mairead Quinn announced that she will be unavailable for at least the early part of the season as she is expecting her first child.

 

Other newcomers include Emily Baggaley, Abby Latchford and Abi Johnston who all join the Leopards from Warrington Wolves. Hannah Roberts moves to the Leopards Den after two seasons with St Helens, Maddison Higson is a former Wigan Warriors and Swinton Lions player while Macy McDermott has joined up from the Illingworth club near Halifax. 

 

It is great to see the return of Mackenzie Taylor and Elise Gator to the squad after both missed the entire 2024 season due to injury. The 2023 woman of steel Keli Morris is still recovering from the broken leg she suffered in the in the northern grand final victory over the Sheffield Eagles but has earned squad number 20 while she continues to press ahead with her recovery.

 

Leading try-scorer Hattie Dogus takes the fullback jersey with Toryn Blackwood, Mollie Young and Becky Greenfield joining Taylor in the three-quarter line. Last season’s highly successful half back pairing of Rhianna Burke and Leah Morris continue in the six and seven jersey while Eleanor Dainty is rewarded for a fine 2024 season by taking the number eight shirt. Last season’s woman of steel Storm Cobain joins leading point-scorer Charlotte Melvin in the second row with Grace Hill, another 2024 stand-out taking the number 13 shirt.

 

Abi Gordon , Sam Brazier , Lucy Johnson and Claire Collins , all regulars last season , complete the first 17.

 

The Leopards begin their season with two warm up matches against Salford Red Devils and Huddersfield Giants during March before commencing the Betfred Challenge Cup campaign against both Sheffield Eagles and Leeds Rhinos ahead of the start of the eagerly awaited Super League season in May.