Adrian Lam is hoping to secure his off-contract players sooner rather than later with the Leigh Leopards boss fielding questions about a number of off-contract players at the club’s media day.
The presser from that media day was shared to the club’s YouTube channel and saw Lam asked about his off-contract players and how that status affects those impacted players, with both Robbie Mulhern and Owen Trout recently linked with moves away.
Mulhern was linked with a move to South Sydney Rabbitohs whilst Trout has been the reported subject of interest domestically and down under.
Asked if such reports and the contract status could be a distraction, Lam responded: “There are a few players in that position and I don’t want to spend too much time on it.
“We get this situation every year and it can affect players’ performances. I’ve seen it with my own son at different times at different clubs and it’s an area we want to get sorted quickly, either way.”
Leigh Leopards boss downplays significance of off-contract group
Leigh have already moved to address one major off-contract player with last year’s Super League Dream Team centre Umyla Hanley handed a new contract that keeps him at the club until the end of the 2028 season.
That still leaves a host of big names without deals beyond 2025 with Aaron Pene, Bailey Hodgson, Gareth O’Brien, Isaac Liu, Jack Hughes, Josh Charnley, Owen Trout and Robbie Mulhern among the 13 off-contract Leopards.
On the process of re-signing players, Lam said: “We’ll get through that process but for now, his (Robbie Mulhern) priority is to make sure he leads the group. He’s part of our leadership group.”
Lam added: “I think every coach is the same and in a similar situation. I’d rather sign them all for five years each, if I could and I had my way.
“It never works that way and you deal with everyone separately and each situation but the squad have been awesome.”
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