Leigh Leopards head coach Adrian Lam sees no reason why his side cannot make the Super League top two with the club set to push local rivals Wigan all the way.
A top two finish in Super League is something that Wigan are very accustomed to but Leigh have never hit those heights with fifth the highest the club have ever finished in the comp, something they did in 2023 and 2024.
They look likely to record their highest-ever Super League finish this year, currently sitting three points clear of fifth, however, a win against Warrington Wolves tonight would actually put them one point away from second placed Wigan Warriors.
And for Lam, Leigh need to be looking in that direction: “For us, we’re aiming at as high as we can possibly be. We’re not looking behind us. We’re a club now that our expectations have certainly grown and I think our fans have as well.”
Speaking in his pre-match presser on Thursday, he explained that the Leopards are all that matters in that race to kick on for the top two, a challenge that he and the Leigh squad are thoroughly embracing.
“Why not?,” responded Lam when asked if he views top two as achievable, adding: “I think we’re one point behind Wigan (with a win).
“There’s eight games to go. If we win all eight games and Wigan slip up once, we’re in. That’s the reality of it all and I think as a club we want to keep setting our standards high. It’s just about us really.”
Leigh Leopards embracing the pressure of a top two Super League chase
Perhaps worrying for their rivals but inspiring for the Leigh fans is the fact Lam believes the Leopards have much more scope for growth with the club only just getting started, having returned to Super League less than three full seasons ago.
“I still think we’ve got one or two years to go and that’s just being honest and fair,” Lam explained.
“I think we’ve been inconsistent for most of the season but with that, we’ve found a way to win and that’s a sign of a side that has belief and trust in each other. I think the leadership group that we have within us is certainly driving our standards here.”
As for the pressure of competing as a possible top two team, Lam said: “We’ve never been in this position before as a club in Super League and it’s where we want to be. We want to get used to these sort of scenarios and situations and put some pressure on the teams in front of us. They’ve got to keep winning as well and we’ve got to keep winning.
“We’ve got a really tough draw, like everybody else I guess, but what we’re in control of is that 80-minute performance every week. And we’re pretty excited about that, including tomorrow night.”
Adrian Lam’s season long promise comes good
For much of the early part of the season, Lam would consistently tell the media that the Leopards were a team who would kick on in the second half of the year. He’d recall the number of recruits they brought in ahead of the season as well as those they lost such as John Asiata, Tom Amone and Kai O’Donnell, arguing that the turnover would mean it might take a while for Leigh to fully click.
Each week that went by when Leigh didn’t click cast more light on those comments and cast doubt over whether the Leopards ever truly would click, however, they are now hitting form at the perfect time. Lam even admitted that it took the side longer than he expected, but that the gritty nature of wins throughout the year has instilled plenty of confidence.
He explained: “You can’t get your best rugby in the first six weeks, ten weeks, or twelve weeks. To be fair, I didn’t think it would take this long to get it where it is now and what we’ve been able to do is find wins along the way, albeit by two, or four or six points but it all counts when it matters most.”
🐆 𝟮𝟭 𝗦𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗗 𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗗
Lammy’s picks for the 21 man squad for this Friday’s game. pic.twitter.com/CMpnkCRQU7— Leigh Leopards (@LeighLeopardsRL) July 30, 2025
