Leigh Leopards’ Adrian Lam insists he has not been contacted or approached regarding the head coach role with Papua New Guinea Chiefs.
Lam has been regularly linked with the top job at the Chiefs and as the organisation gathers pace and readies itself to step into the NRL in 2028, his name has cropped up once more. The 55-year-old, who is now in his fifth year in charge of the Leopards, is reportedly on a four-man shortlist for the role alongside Hull KR boss Willie Peters, Leeds Rhinos’ Brad Arthur and Jason Demetriou, who is currently in charge of the PNG national team.
But, Chiefs general manager Michael Chammas namechecked Lam as an option in a recent interview in the press down under, and rugby league immortal Andrew Johns has described the Leigh boss as the ideal man to take charge of the club given his connections to the country, having played for and coached the national team.
The Chiefs are said to be keen to wrap up their head coach search sooner rather than later, but Lam insists he hasn’t been approached, with the Leigh boss insisting he is completely focused on the job at hand with Leigh after what has been a challenging start to the campaign.
“No, not yet,” Lam told Serious About Rugby League when asked if any contact from PNG had been made. “I’ve been keeping an eye on it obviously because it’s a passion of mine and a country that I’ve captained and coaching in the past.
“It’s unbelievable that they’ve got a licence and they’re in a position to be able to enter the NRL in 2028. It’s an amazing opportunity for the country and the people there and they’re so excited about it.
“My name keeps coming up which it’s going to and it’s nice to know that and hear that. But I’ll be honest, my focus is here right now, trying to rally these players to get in position for a quarter-final of the Challenge Cup and back up the ladder in Super League. That’s my priority and my focus.”
Lam’s Leigh side host Toulouse Olympique in round six of Super League on Saturday and they’ll be looking to pick up their second league win of the season and finally find some traction, with injuries to key men having a significant impact on their form so far.
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