Leigh Leopards head coach Adrian Lam came out of Saturday’s win over Hull FC fearing that he may only have a ‘bare 17’ to select from for Friday night’s Super League clash with Wakefield Trinity, and confirmation of those injuries has ensured it will be a threadbare Leigh squad.
The Leopards aren’t the only club in an injury crisis at the moment but it’s perhaps been understated in just how many players they are missing due to the fact they still have their starting six and seven of Adam Cook and Lachlan Lam.
What they don’t have is the rest of their spine with both full-backs David Armstrong (ACL) and Bailey Hodgson (MCL) out, whilst star hooker Edwin Ipape (knee) is another on the sidelines.
The back line is also decimated with Umyla Hanley (shoulder) joined by Keanan Brand (ankle) on the injury list after the winger went off injured in the first minute of Saturday’s win.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Lam would confirm that Andy Badrock had suffered a dislocated shoulder, meaning he joins the likes of Joe Ofahengaue (calf) and Aaron Pene (calf) on the sidelines. One positive is that Matt Davis (HIA) is expected to be back this week but even so, Lam was left wondering if he’d have enough to select from especially with Owen Trout only deemed a 50/50 chance.
Lam joked: “I only had 19 to pick from last week and it’s a little bit less now,” and we’ve worked out which players Leigh do have available and made a predicted line-up for the Leopards.
Leigh Leopards predicted XIII to face Wakefield Trinity
Full-back: Gaz O’Brien
O’Brien is a handy deputy at the back and he offers a different way of playing, becoming more of a creative full-back as opposed to the running threat that Hodgson or Armstrong would offer. Either way, he’s more than capable in this role.
Wingers: Innes Senior and Josh Charnley
This pair will likely remain unchanged after an impressive run of performances and the fact that Brand and AJ Towse are injured, however, Senior could be a candidate to move inside to centre.
Centres: Tesi Niu and Jack Hughes
Umyla Hanley isn’t expected to be back and Lam had confirmed Brand as a ‘long-term’ loss so it could be Jack Hughes, the man who ended Saturday’s game at centre, who pairs Tesi Niu in this role.
Halves: Adam Cook and Lachlan Lam
One of the few constants for Leigh this year and with repetition, Adrian Lam will hope that this pair can start forging a connection so that the Leopards can kick on when they’re fully fit in a few weeks time.
Hooker: Ben McNamara
McNamara has been the man to start in the absence of Edwin Ipape with Liam Horne offering impact off the bench and it’s likely to stay that way.
Props: Robbie Mulhern and Owen Trout
The rib cartilage issue for Owen Trout makes him a doubt with Lam confirming he’ll be given until gameday. Oftentimes, it’s an injury that is down to a player’s pain tolerance. Whether it’s Trout or not, the other prop will almost certainly be Robbie Mulhern who has had a very strong start to the year.
Second-row: Frankie Halton and Jacob Alick-Wiencke
Saturday’s starter Andy Badrock is out so that could see NRL recruit Jacob Alick-Wiencke earn another start alongside the reliable Frankie Halton.
Loose forward: Isaac Liu
Adrian Lam went out of his way to sing the praises of Isaac Liu after Saturday’s win with the loose forward playing a whopping 76 minutes. Another big shift will be required on Friday night.
Interchanges: Matt Davis, Liam Horne, Ryan Brown and Louis Brogan
Adrian Lam did confirm that Matty Davis can return from his HIA and he’ll be much needed as two of the other bench spots are likely to be occupied by youngsters in Ryan Brown and Louis Brogan, the latter of whom was activated as 18th man on Saturday.
Brogan was only just back from an injury himself as well, showcasing how threadbare the Leopards are in terms of numbers.
