It’s been a disheartening period for Leigh Leopards and their supporters since the opening of the recruitment window. In the space of six weeks, the Leopards have seen a team that delivered the club’s greatest success in more than 40 years picked apart.

Adrian Lam’s side will look very different next season, with their squad set to be without some of the star performers that saw them end a 52-year wait to win the Challenge Cup.

Losing Kai O’Donnell and Tom Amone are particularly significant blows. Both have arguably been the best players in their positions across the competition since arriving in Super League last year. In that sense, it’s no real surprise to see them return to the NRL.

Beyond that, John Asiata, the captain, and Zak Hardaker, mainstays during a remarkable Super League return, have been lured to Hull FC, where they will be joined by Oliver Holmes and Ed Chamberlain next year.

It means significant upheaval for Leigh. Crucially, they have to successfully replace and succeed some top players. It is a daunting and difficult proposition to have so much significant work to do in one recruitment cycle.

But beyond the negatives at the surface level are a ream of positives that have the potential to be for the betterment of the club in years to come.

The impending departures of Amone and O’Donnell are success stories for Leigh. It may be an uncomfortable truth, but many players who come to Super League do so with the intention of one day returning to the NRL. The fact that the pair have both achieved that is an endorsement of the club and enhances its appeal to others considering a similar career path.

In any sport, there is a food chain, and unfortunately for Super League and its clubs, the NRL is the big shark. For many players that is the holy grail, but rather than fear it, Leigh are finding a way to embrace it.

Their overseas recruitment strategy has seen them search for unearthed gems and turn them into stars. Amone and O’Donnell are great cases, but the prime example is Edwin Ipape, who was plucked from obscurity and is now regarded as one of the best players in competition. Lachlan Lam, while more experienced at NRL level, was another player seeking an opportunity where he could flourish.