In perhaps one of the biggest transfer stories of this off season Leigh Leopards managed to land NRL veteran playmaker Matt Moylan out of the blue, and the 32-year-old has now confirmed just how quickly the move came together.
Leigh had an exceptional first season back in Super League as they made the play-offs for the first time in their history and also went on to lift the Challenge Cup, something that the club hadn’t done since 1971.
Much of the credit for that success landed at the feet of father and son Adrian and Lachlan Lam, and deservedly so, however Lachlan’s half-back partner Ben Reynolds was a major contributor.
Despite the success of 2023, Reynolds left the club to make a move to Championship Featherstone Rovers leaving a major hole in the Leopards’ spine.
It was long expected that Anthony Milford would be the man to fill that role but after weeks of rumours that fell short, then out of the blue Matt Moylan signed for the club, or so it seemed.
Moylan has now taken to SEN Radio in Australia to confirm that the move did come about almost as fast as was seen by fans, explaining to SEN 1170: “It popped up last week.
He continued: “I went to a meeting with (Leopards) coach Adrian Lam and the opportunity to have a new challenge (was exciting).”
Moylan has been a mainstay in the NRL playing for both Penrith Panthers and his most recent side Cronulla Sharks, racking up a total of 191 games in the NRL whilst also earning rep honours for New South Wales and Australia.
It speaks volumes of the transformation that Leigh have undergone these past two seasons with Derek Beaumont’s ambition and Adrian Lam at the helm that the club can land such a coup.
Moylan explained to SEN what he expected and wanted to get from his time in Super League.
“It’ll be great to experience the game over there and experience a different lifestyle.
“I’ve had a long stint in the NRL so the challenge ahead is exciting and I’m looking forward to playing over there.
“Leigh is a club that’s on the improve from where they’ve been in the past few years. They have a good squad and are ready to compete.
“Hopefully with me going there, we can have some success and I can put them into a position where we can play finals footy consistently.”
Moylan joins the club on a two-year deal and will now slot in to replace Reynolds, creating a fearsome spine of full-back Gareth O’Brien, Lachlan Lam, Edwin Ipape and of course loose forward John Asiata.
