RISING star Mick Higham will be thrilling Hilton Park crowds for at least another two years.

The teenage hooker yesterday put pen to paper on a new contract that will keep him with the Centurions until 2002.

It's a significant signing for coach Paul Terzis and his negotiating team considering the amount of interest a host of Super League clubs have been showing in Higham in recent months.

"It's a great day for Leigh, confirmed Terzis. "But the bottom line was that Michael never gave any indication that he wanted to leave his hometown club. Of course he is hugely ambitious and wants to play at a higher level but he wants to do that with us. That's very gratifying."

However, Higham could get an early opportunity to test himself in Super League. St Helens and Warrington have both indicated they would like to take him on loan until the end of the current Super League season.

"In view of the interest from Ian Millward at St Helens and Darryl Van De Velde at Warrington we'll be sitting down with Michael to discuss his options and what's best for the player and the Leigh club," adds Terzis.

"At this stage of his development it could be beneficial to him to join one of those clubs for a few weeks. It could advance his career.

"But the temporary move has got to be right for Michael and for us at Leigh."

Terzis, who leaves for a working holiday back in Australia on Monday, remains confident that his other out of contract stars will agree new deals shortly.

"All our out of contract players have been given new offers and they've gone away to consider them. I don't anticipate any problems," he says.

Aussie back rower Heath Cruckshank, unluckily cut from Leigh's overseas quota, is attracting interest from John Monie's London Broncos and from the Centurions' NFP rivals Rochdale.

"They've only been tentative enquiries so far," says Terzis. "Heath would like to stay in England but if he can't get fixed up, he'll probably return to Australia."