Leigh Leopards are reportedly set to lose England international Owen Trout to the NRL but how could they replace him in 2027?
Trout, who can play second-row and prop, is out of contract at the end of the 2026 season and that’s understandably seen rival clubs interested, from both Super League and the NRL.
Reports from Australia have now emerged that the Leigh Leopards man will sign for Cronulla Sharks in 2027, handing the Leopards another huge blow with off-contract prop Robbie Mulhern understood to be signing with Castleford Tigers next year.
As such, the Leopards look likely to be forced to head to market to replace both men and luckily for them, there is a large contingent of off-contract forwards in Super League.
Whether they can replace the quality of Trout is unlikely but there are still plenty of options and we’ve picked out seven, covering both prop and second-row with Trout capable of playing both.
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How could Leigh Leopards replace Owen Trout?
Tyler Dupree
The standout replacement would be Tyler Dupree, the Wigan Warriors forward who is out on loan with Toulouse Olympique for the 2026 season. Dupree will have a big point to prove in 2026 seen as Wigan allowed him to leave on loan, plus the fact that he is off-contract. Such circumstances may mean that we see the best of Dupree in 2026, thus Leigh may well be interested.
James Harrison
Warrington’s James Harrison is also off-contract with the forward capable of playing front and second-row, something that Trout has mastered. Set to turn 30 in June, the ex-Featherstone man can also play loose forward and with Isaac Liu off-contract, that’s another spot that Leigh may want to consider.
Sam Eseh
Despite being on the books at the club for some time, Sam Eseh actually made his competitive Wigan Warriors debut this past weekend. Having been loaned out to Hull FC in 2025, Eseh impressed and that’s seen Wigan put the faith in him for 2026 but he remains off-contract and Leigh will surely be interested.
James Bentley
Another Warrington man without a deal beyond this year is James Bentley with the Irish international only signing a one-year deal after his release from Leeds Rhinos. Bentley played at prop at times under Brad Arthur and is a seasoned Super League veteran who any club would be keen to look at.
Matty English
Matty English has been vocal about the fact he does not have a deal for 2027 and the 28-year-old has even admitted recently he would be open to a move away from Huddersfield. A one-club man so far, English is another who has spent time in the front and second-row and could be on Leigh’s radar.
Jack Brown
Brown has found consistent game time hard to come by at Hull KR with the majority of his appearances coming from the bench. Turning 26 in the summer, he’s one of the younger forwards who is off-contract and has plenty of talent.
Kai O’Donnell
A wildcard option would be for Leigh to go after their former player Kai O’Donnell, who left at the end of the 2024 season to sign with North Queensland Cowboys. He fits the system perfectly and has struggled for consistent game time in the NRL, playing 18 games but with the majority from the bench. If he can’t land a new NRL contract then a return to Leigh could be an option.
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