Adrian Lam gives Leigh Leopards’ season grade as Super League target confirmed

Leigh Leopards head coach Adrian Lam has assessed his side’s season so far by assigning them a grade, as well as outlining the club’s ambitions looking towards the back end of the year.

A 24-20 win over Wakefield Trinity at the weekend ensured Leigh keep pace with third-place Leeds Rhinos, sitting just one point behind Brad Arthur’s side and three points clear of fifth-place St Helens.

Curiously, Leigh and Leeds are yet to face off in 2025 despite Super League being 14 rounds in already. The Leopards and Rhinos first meet in two weeks time at Headingley, before facing off at the Leigh Sports Village in Round 21.

Speaking ahead of this past weekend’s game against Wakefield, Lam had explained how he expects Super League to start to really take shape in this next block of games with those match-ups between Leigh and Leeds likely to determine who leads the chasing pack behind Hull KR and Wigan Warriors.

“The next seven or eight games, I think, for everyone in Super League is probably the hardest quarter of the season,” Lam argued, noting: “I think you’ll see some teams come forward or gain a lot of confidence in the next six, seven weeks and hopefully we’re one of those teams.”

Leigh Leopards boss ‘confident’ team can ‘grow’ in second-half of Super League

Leigh came through a very tough game on Sunday afternoon when they defeated Wakefield and that has set the platform for this upcoming run of fixtures in which they will play Leeds, Wigan, KR, Saints, Warrington and Leeds again, after Saturday’s game against Catalans.

Asked last week to assess his side’s campaign so far, Lam evaluated it as a “B minus or C plus”, noting the lack of rhythm his team have been able to develop in a season when they have had a major squad overhaul.

He explained: “The reasons being behind that is, of our starting 13 players, there’s been probably about nine or ten of them that haven’t played half the season, that haven’t played half the games

“That’s got to be disruptive to the group and it has been. We haven’t been able to really find a good rhythm as you would have if you didn’t have any injuries for the whole year, so to speak.”

He would confirm that barring Aaron Pene and Louis Brogan, he’d likely have his full squad available going forward with the likes of Gareth O’Brien and Ethan O’Neill set for returns against Catalans, however, he pointed to the club’s ability to perform in spite of injuries as why he’s so confident in his side.

Lam argued: “As much as we have been debilitated at times in injuries, we’ve found ways to win, even though it hasn’t been pretty at times. The courage and resilience of the team, it’s certainly brought the group together.

“I feel confident that the minute that we can get some reps together as our best 13 and 17, I think we can only grow as a club and a team.”

On where his side can grow to, he outlined the club’s intent to host a play-off game and potentially even a semi-final, dismissing the suggestion of top six as a target.

“I think top four,” he responded.

“At this club here, we’ve never achieved a home semifinal in that part of the season so that’s a goal for us, whether it be third or fourth or first or second, whatever it is there, we’ll take that and that will just show the progression that we’ve had every year.”

⏱️ 𝗙𝗨𝗟𝗟 𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘 and Leopards come away with 2 points.

⚜️Trinity 20-24 Leopards 🐆 pic.twitter.com/kLwORQtcim

— Leigh Leopards (@LeighLeopardsRL) June 15, 2025