Leigh coach offers frank assessment of Wakefield defeat as ‘soft’ try bemoaned

Leigh boss Adrian Lam insists he is seeing signs of improvement from his Leopards side, but admits they have to start winning games soon.

The Leopards were beaten 18-14 away at Belle Vue by Wakefield Trinity on Friday night, scoring late on through Jacob Alick-Wiencke to give the scoreline a closer feel than the 80 minutes reflected.

Lam’s side have now lost four Super League games on the spin, with their only success in the competition this term coming in Round 1 at home against a Leeds Rhinos side which was decimated.

A month on, it’s now Leigh whose squad has been torn apart by injuries to key personnel: down to the bare bones.

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‘There’s frustrations around the fact there’s a lot of effort with no result at the end’

Speaking post-match at Belle Vue, head coach Lam delivered an honest assessment of the current state of affairs.

He said: “There’s plenty of effort there. We need to win, that’s our priority, and there’s frustrations around the fact there’s a lot of effort with no result at the end.

“We’re working hard at training, and there were some things that really hurt us today.

“Our discipline was just diabolical, it’s very hard to compete when it’s like that. I’m proud of them for competing right to the very end, it’s three tries all and if we kick our goals, then we tie the game.

“We’re there or thereabouts, but a long way away, that’s how it feels at the moment.

“There’s no need to panic and yell at them in the dressing room just yet, it’s important we support them and get right behind them until we turn the corner.”

Leigh trailed 8-0 just after the half-hour mark on Friday night, with Wakefield’s off-season recruit Jazz Tevaga scooting in for the opening try under the sticks out of dummy-half early on unchallenged.

That moment irked the Leopards boss as he added: “There’s been a soft try in every game so far this year. The one from (Jazz) Tevaga is just a fall over.

“But that happens when you don’t have the same team every week or your best team, you lack a bit of understanding defensively.

“When I look at the team, there’s definitely effort there. As much as it looks like we’re a million miles away, we’re pretty close, we’re an inch away from where we need to be.

“I’m seeing the things I want to see a lot more, so we’re heading in the right direction.”