Adrian Lam offers update on number of NRL-linked Leigh Leopards stars

Adrian Lam gave the Leigh Leopards a welcome boost with the news that he has signed a contract extension to remain at the club. Lam has been linked with several roles in Super League and the NRL, including the Hull FC job, but has opted to remain with Leigh for a further three years. 

A key part of Lam’s success in the role has been the club’s ability to identify talent and help them raise their game. Players such as John Asiata, Edwin Ipape, Tom Amone and Lachlan Lam have all enhanced their reputations during their time with the Leopards. However, inevitably, their strong performances on the field have led to them being linked with a move away from the Leigh Sports Village.

With the departure of several high profile players, including Asiata, already confirmed, the Leopards face a year of transition. Several of their other key players are also out of contract at the end of the year, and Lam will be hoping the club can convince them to follow in the footsteps of stars such as Josh Charnley and Umyla Hanley in extending their stay with Leigh.

Now, speaking in his weekly press conference, Lam has given an update on the future of two of his NRL linked stars.

Leigh Leopards boss gives update on NRL linked stars

Tom Amone and Ricky Leutele have been key performers at Leigh, and both are out of contract at the end of the season. When asked about their futures at the club, Lam re-affirmed that the club would not be commenting on player’s futures until the end of the season. However, he confirmed that the club were ready to deal with any departures that do occur.

“That’s not the case at the moment and if anything does happen with that moving forward, there’s a policy that stays with the club in the sense of not releasing any information on players until the end of the season.

“We’ll deal with what’s ahead of us in the immediate future or at the end of the season and if those two players are the ones that come into play, then we’ll deal with it when it happens.

Discussing Amone specifically, Lam offered an opinion on how he believes he has developed as a player since joining the Leopards. He revealed that Amone has expressed a desire to return to the NRL in the future.

“Tom was a 20-minute player off the bench, not playing in the NRL and playing 20 minutes for us in the Championship.

“Part of what we do really well here, I believe, is we develop the players. If we are to lose Tom at some stage, because I know he’s passionate about going back and trying to get back in the NRL, along with a lot of the Aussie players that come to us, we understand that.

Lam discusses Amone’s future

Amone has been a major part of Leigh’s success since joining from the NRL. His return to the Leigh Leopards side from injury has coincided with an upturn in results on the field. Amone has been linked with a return to the South Sydney Rabbitohs in recent weeks. If the move does come about, Lam explained that he would wish Amone the best of luck for the future.

“Tom Amone has been unbelievable, unbelievable.

“The development in him over the last two and a half years has been first class and a real inspiration to everyone that watches and plays rugby league. Not only do you only see him on the field, but just his development around his home life, his social life and his leadership within the group here has been phenomenal.

“He’s another one of those players that has certainly helped build this club. We want to hold on to him and if that doesn’t happen, we’ll survive. We’ll pat him on the back, we’ll thank him, and we’ll welcome him in the next one and we’ll develop the next guy.”