Super League coach says they will be “aggressive” with recruitment and retention

May is a significant time for Super League clubs as it allows them to approach players from rival clubs who haven’t got a deal for next year in the hope they can bolster their squad.

Leigh Leopards were one of the most active clubs last year and as they prepare for next year Adrian Lam has given an update on the club’s recruitment on the club’s YouTube channel

“It’s a time to make sure that you’re on schedule with who you are and where you want to be, so as a club we’re always looking to improve our squad,” he said.

“We do have one of the smaller squads in Super League so having said that we’ve got an owner here that’s very obvious on building this club.

“We’re looking at every opportunity there is to meet with players that are off contract and who we think fit this environment, and who we want to add to our squad to help us develop into the team we want to be over the next couple of years.

“I think it’s pretty hectic for all clubs, not only the recruitment but also the retention and keeping the players that you need to have.

“We’re working really hard on that so it’s business as usual every day throughout this month.

Retaining players might be more important with the likes of Lachlan Lam and Kai O’Donnell out of contract.

Lam has said they will be aggressive in this area:

“Absolutely. It’s something that we’re very aggressive with in the sense of making sure that we manage the process really well.

“We don’t want to lose anyone obviously that we want to keep but that being said we’ve got to make some tough decisions on players to improve the squad, or give them an opportunity somewhere else if the offers are better.

“It’s a business within the business to be honest with you but it’s certainly a part of success for the clubs that have been successful over any stage, so we’re working hard and making sure we manage that process.”