Leigh coach shares bold counter-argument in Super League player welfare debate

Leigh Leopards boss Adrian Lam has produced a counter-argument in the ongoing debate around player welfare, saying he doesn’t want to see any sort of reduction to the Super League schedule.

This week, the topic of player welfare has come to the fore due to the number of injuries clubs are having to contend with right the way across the competition.

Wigan Warriors head coach Matt Peet and Warrington Wolves counterpart Sam Burgess both voiced their frustrations and concerns ahead of Friday night’s clash between the two sides, with a combined 19 first-team stars currently sidelined.

Hull KR boss Willie Peters then made his feelings clear on the matter, agreeing with Burgess that bye rounds must be introduced into the Super League schedule for the good of the players as well as the product on offer to supporters.

‘We’re paid as a professionals to entertain the fans’

Like most clubs across Super League, Leigh have done it tough on the injury front right the way through 2026.

This week alone ahead of their home clash against Castleford Tigers, they have lost Tesi Niu to what looks like a season-ending Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) rupture.

Joe Ofahengaue has also entered the treatment room, while fellow front-rowers Robbie Mulhern and Aaron Pene face an uphill battle to make it to the start line in time to face Cas.

But Leopards head coach Lam was firm in his stance surrounding the ongoing welfare/scheduling debate.

Asked in Wednesday afternoon’s pre-match press conference about the calls for changes to the schedule, he said: “I don’t agree with that.

“We’re paid as a professionals to entertain the fans.

“At the start of the year, when the game was sped up through the ruck, I think it had a little bit more to do with that than to do with overplaying.

“My opinion is I like the way the competition is at the moment and I think everyone’s doing a great job with it.”

‘I’d play more games if we could!’

Leigh’s latest spate of injuries were all suffered during their Magic Weekend victory over Warrington Wolves, with that game taking place on Merseyside at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, the home of Premier League outfit Everton.

This weekend, the Leopards play on home soil for the first time in seven weeks. Used by Manchester United’s youth and women’s sides in addition to concerts taking place there, the Leigh Sports Village pitch takes a battering and has just been replaced.

Papua New Guinean Lam continued: “I’d play more games if we could!

“That’s what the fans are for and what our support is for.

“There was a lot of injuries at the weekend (while playing) on a different surface, that’s not been brought up.

“We played at Toulouse the week before in 41C temperature, and then had a seven-day turnaround into (playing on) a field at a football ground.

“We’re not making excuses for any of the injuries, but there certainly was a lot.

“What I want to look forward to is the sun being out this Saturday at three o’clock when we can get all of our fans into a stadium that’s amazing and look forward to that rather than dwelling too much on the other side of it.”

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