MICKY Higham has revealed his rugby league career has landed him in trouble at home – because he keeps everything!
The Leigh skipper is getting ready for his 18th season in the game, but wife Kate would probably be glad to see it stop, for an unlikely reason.
It would mean no more training kit or club suits to clog up the cupboards and wardrobes, including some in his son’s bedroom!
“My missus goes mad,” admitted Higham.
“I’ve got bags of stuff inside bags of stuff. If I went in my loft and spare room, I wouldn’t be far off every bit of training kit I’ve ever had.
“She’ll open the door and she’d be like, ‘This frigging kit! If you don’t sort it out I’m going to bin it.’
“I must have 20 club suits – St Helens, Wigan, Warrington, Leigh, Great Britain, England – you get a new one every year.
“I must have a rack of them and she’s like, ‘You don’t wear them, do you?’
“I even stash a few in my son’s bedroom, on the top shelf. He’s like, ‘What’s that, dad?’ I reply, ‘Never you mind.’
“I think I’m a bit of a hoarder on the quiet.”
Off-field whinges aside, hooker Higham is ready to lead Leigh back into Super League for the first time in 12 years.
And coming from the town, he has heard about nothing else since the Centurions made it through the Qualifiers.
Almost 2,000 fans travelled to Castleford for their opener, which they lost 44-16.
And their home return against Leeds Rhinos is eagerly awaited.
“There’s a real buzz around the town, which is good. Hopefully if we go out there and give 100 per cent, the fans will be happy.
“It doesn’t add pressure. The pressure we put on ourselves internally is enough. We set our standards within our group and we’ve got some quality players.
“But we don’t just want to come into Super League, we want to make the top eight and give some big teams a run for their money.”
Leigh seemingly strengthened well since being promoted, signing Aussie ace Glenn Stewart from Catalans Dragons was a real coup.
Now an excited Higham is ready for them to show what they can do in the top flight, after doing his research.
The 36-year-old said: “Pre-season was tougher but I think it was needed – but I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t been kicking my heels waiting.
“I’ve had a little check on the internet at the squads that have been put together and looked who’s signing who.
“We can take some confidence out of how we did in the Qualifiers last year. To raise ourselves and win games against Super League sides took some doing.
“But we strengthened in a few areas and competition for places is a lot more fierce. If you don’t perform, someone will be champing at the bit waiting to take your place.”
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