LEIGH Centurions are pinning their hopes on a touch of Alex Murphy magic to help them realise their Super League dream.

The rugby league all-time great will join the Hilton Park club for a fifth spell, this time as football director, at the ripe old age of 64 after the club dropped a bombshell with the sacking of Australian head coach Paul Terzis.

Murphy was sunning himself on the French Riviera when the chance came to continue his love affair with Leigh.

It was under the former St Helens and Great Britain scrum-half that the club enjoyed their finest hours, a 24-7 win over Leeds in the 1971 Challenge Cup final and again in 1982 when they won the Division One championship. He also had other brief spells with the club in the 80s and 90s.

Murphy had a glittering coaching career that spanned 31 years and he was awarded the OBE in 1998.

Once Leigh had decided to part company with Terzis a group of four directors flew to France, where Murphy is holidaying with his wife, to persuade him to return to a club where he is revered as a legend.

"We managed to coax him out of retirement," said executive director Derek Beaumont.

"He still has the club at heart and we're overwhelmed to have him back."

Former St Helens stand-off Tommy Martyn and another Leigh stalwart, Norman Turley, will work as assistant coaches under Murphy, who plans to fly back from the south of France to watch tomorrow's final league match against Rochdale.

The Centurions are guaranteed a second-placed finish and will play minor premiers Salford later this month for a place in the all-important Grand Final on October 5.

"Leigh have got to get into Super League," said Murphy, who coached England in 1975.

"There's only one team to beat in that division and that's Salford. They are a very good side but all we need to do is win two play-off games.

"I've got no magic wand and, if we can go up this year, that's great. One thing I can promise is that I will do my utmost and we will improve."

Murphy will steer Leigh through this season's play-off series before taking a full-time role as Director of Football.

"People keep asking me how old I am, but all I can say is that I'm younger than Sir Bobby Robson!" he jokes.

Meanwhile, part-time Centurions are to go fully professional in a bold bid to finally capture a Super League place.

They will go full-time from next week in the hope it will improve their chances of closing the gap on rivals Salford, who are now hot favourites to regain the place in the elite division they lost last season.

Leigh's big decision was made before their heavy league defeat at Salford last Sunday and has been part of their planning since early in the season.