CENTURIONS' chairman Mike Nolan is putting his weight behind the growing campaign to overturn the Association of Premiership Club's shock vote to make a complete return to winter rugby.

The Leigh boss describes the decision as 'an absolute joke' and will work with APC chairman Chris Hamilton to get the ruling kicked out.

The APC voted 13-5 in favour of starting the next NFP season on September 22, effectively ending any prospect of promotion and relegation to and from Super League.

Leigh were one of the five clubs who voted against a return to a winter season. The others were Widnes, Sheffield, Gateshead and Barrow. Hunslet did not attend the meeting and did not vote.

Hamilton, also chairman of Oldham, has contradicted the reported vote. "I left instruction that the Oldham vote must be cast against any return to winter rugby. So at the very least the vote should have been 12-6."

Mr Nolan says: "The majority of clubs obviously don't want promotion and have no ambition.

"Most of them have got themselves into such a financial mess that they are not capable of voting on the future of our game. They are only concerned where their next penny is coming from.

"They didn't want to wait for a December kick off when they can sell season tickets in August. They have lost sight of the big picture.

"Three year ago Leigh was on the brink of extinction, now we are top of the league and getting crowds in excess of some Super League clubs. This has been achieved through ambition and hard work. Once you take those things away, you're going nowhere."

He hopes that the RFL Council will overturn the decision when they meet on June 5, but knows that this won't happen unless the representatives of Super League clubs on the Council agree.

"If the Super League clubs support the NFP proposal for winter rugby then we will be back to amateur status, or pay and play, while trying to survive on gates of 1000. It will send five or six clubs to the wall."