John originally hails from the Blackburn area and agreed a new deal with Leigh during last season that has tied him to the club for the next two years.
Cookson joined the club in 2004 as a strong running second row forward. After initially impressing many at Senior Academy level with his power packed runs and committed tackles, club coaching staff felt that John would be better served as a prop.
After impressing in pre-season, John made a first team debut at Bloomfield Road, Blackpool on the opening night of the 2006 campaign.
He made seven appearances during that debut season and added a further 19 last year, scoring four tries including a memorable effort in a 24-8 Northern Rail Cup win over Widnes. John will be looking to add to both try and appearance tallies in 2008.
