Adrian Lam expects Darnell McIntosh to miss the opening month of the Super League season. McIntosh has not been included in Lam’s Leigh Leopards squad to take on Wigan Warriors on Thursday night and it seems he will now miss the club’s first few games.
The injury stems back to the club’s pre-season trip to Lanzarote, with the winger picking up the knee issue while training on the Spanish island. As such, he did not feature in last week’s Challenge Cup third round tie and he won’t be involved for a few more weeks yet, Lam has revealed.
The Leigh head coach has been able to name Josh Charnley, Robbie Mulhern and Edwin Ipape in his 21-man squad after leaving them out of the win over Workington Town. He still has to make a decision on whether the trio will play at the Brick Community Stadium, though.
“I think Darnell McIntosh is the only one that’s not in for round one but he’s probably about a month away from being right,” Lam told the press on Wednesday afternoon. “He did his PCL at our camp in Lanzarote in January.
“The rest of them, there’s been a few niggles there that are 50/50 and players like Robbie Mulhern, Edwin Ipape and Josh Charnley even, we’ve got to make a call between now and game day about whether they’ll be part of that starting XIII or not play at all.”
Pushed on Ipape’s chances of playing, Lam added: “He’s been named in that extended squad and we’ll have a decision made today probably by close of business but he’s more than likely going to play.
“He’s a big personality and player for us and he gives us a completely different dimension as a team when he’s involved in that 17. That’s looking like that’s going to be 100 per cent.”
Leigh Leopards haven’t named a captain just yet for the upcoming season following the departure of last season’s skipper, John Asiata. However, Lam will announce that decision in the dressing room before Thursday’s game, with Lachlan Lam, Robbie Mulhern and Isaac Liu in the frame.
“All of our leaders are playing so I’ll make that decision in the dressing room,” he added. “John Asiata was our captain last year and Lachlan Lam did a lot of that and so did Mulhern. Isaac Liu has been great for us as well so it will be one of those three, Isaac, Lachlan or Robbie.”
🐆𝗦𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗗 𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗗🏉
This Thursday’s squad has been chosen to kick off the 2025 Super League season where we face @WiganWarriorsRL
THU 13 FEB | KO 8:00PM | THE BRICK COMMUNITY STADIUM
Get your tickets below ⬇️
— Leigh Leopards (@LeighLeopardsRL) February 11, 2025
