Leigh Leopards head coach Adrian Lam has spoken on one of the club’s standout players and revealed the key to his success.
The Leopards head to Wakefield tonight looking to avenge last Friday’s defeat at home against the same opponents when they were beaten 40-14 with Trinity’s England duo of Mike McMeeken and Tom Johnstone both scoring braces.
Leigh went behind early but clawed their way back to 12-10 with tries from Umyla Hanley and Keanan Brand, however, Daryl Powell’s side would then score the next 18 points to put the game well beyond the Leopards’ reach.
Looking to progress to the Challenge Cup semi-finals, Leigh will once again be calling on unlikely star Keanan Brand who is having a breakout season for the club despite being their longest-serving player.
Brand first joined in 2021 on loan before signing permanently in 2022, however the 2025 campaign is proving to be his most fruitful with six tries in eight appearances as he steps up in the absence of the injured Darnell McIntosh.
Leigh Leopards boss on unexpected star’s red hot form ahead of milestone game
Credit: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
Leopards coach Adrian Lam spoke with the media midweek about tonight’s game and Brand’s form was on the agenda with the Irish international catching the eye of many after his fast start, particularly given he only played twice in Super League in 2024.
The Leopards coach explained: “I’ve always been impressed with Keanan and as mentioned on a few interviews in the past, Keanan is the original soldier from day one where I turned up and there was only six players there and he was one of those six.
“He’s been on a bit of a roller coaster up and down, obviously going on Love Island and not being here through that, the club supporting him with that
“He’s a good-looking lad isn’t he so he’s fortunate enough to be able to choose his career path but Derek and the board were very supportive of that.”
How to watch Wakefield Trinity v Leigh Leopards and other Challenge Cup games
Brand’s hiatus from the sport came as a result of him appearing on Love Island during the pre-season and early months of the 2023 campaign, which saw him spend time at Barrow and Bradford before earning a first Leigh appearance since 2022 in March of 2024. He’d have to wait until August for his next game, making his form in 2025 all the more impressive.
Lam also confirmed Friday’s match will be an occasion for Brand, explaining: “He’s a champion guy, he lives locally, he’s very popular with the players and he’s playing his 100th professional game this weekend.”
What’s the key to Leigh’s lethal right edge?
🐆𝗦𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗗 𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗗🏉
This Friday’s squad for our Challenge Cup Quarter Final against @WTrinityRL
FRI 4 APR | KO 8:00PM | DIY KITCHENS BELLE VUE STADIUM
🎟 ⬇️
— Leigh Leopards (@LeighLeopardsRL) April 2, 2025
As well as explaining his strong bond with the outside back, Lam moved to explain how and why the 26-year-old has been so good this season; putting it down to a brilliant pre-season and a familiar face on his inside.
Lam explained: “The off-season that he had this year was outstanding and he certainly earned that spot in that position. He scored a great try last weekend as well and has scored a few tries.
“He’s best mates with Umyla Hanley which makes that right centre and right wing a position that they could potentially lock in together over a long period of time and certainly help Leigh grow as a club into the future.”
Whilst Brand has scored six in eight, Hanley has outdone him by scoring seven in that same time and Lam has attributed the pair’s close off-field bond to their on-field form.
“I think that certainly helps,” he confirmed.
“They’re going to learn a lot together in this first six months of the season playing side by side. They’ve made some mistakes already that we’re trying to fix and continually going to try and fix.
“They’ve also done some great stuff in attack with the ball so there’s always room for improvement in everything we do and being together so early in that combination on the right, I’m looking forward to how they mature together as a centre/wing partnership.”
