Adrian Lam sings praises of Papua New Guinea duo ahead of special Leigh landmark
Edwin Ipape (second from left) is congratulated by his Leigh Leopards team-mates including Lachlan Lam (right) following a try in 2025
Leigh Leopards boss Adrian Lam has hailed son Lachlan and fellow Kumul Edwin Ipape ahead of the pair’s 100th appearances for the club.
Papua New Guinea internationals Lam junior and Ipape both arrived in the small town of Leigh in 2022, though not together.
Hooker Ipape, who signed from Queensland Cup side PNG Hunters, made the move ahead of the 2022 campaign.
Half-back Lam then joined him in July that year as he departed NRL outfit Sydney Roosters to reunite with his dad.
Together, the pair have spearheaded a monumental rise which has seen Leigh go from the Championship to Challenge Cup winners and now preparing for a third successive involvement Super League play-offs.
And on Saturday, as luck would have it, they will bring up their 100th appearances for the Leopards together as Leigh make the short trip to Warrington Wolves.
Leigh boss Adrian Lam sings praises of Papua New Guinea duo ahead of special Leopards landmark
86 of the duo’s first 99 appearances Leigh have been made together, and between them, they’ve scored 70 tries in the club’s colours.
Lam grabbed his latest try in last week’s 46-6 demolition of Castleford Tigers, and also has a competition-high 38 assists on the board in Super League alone this term.
Speaking in Wednesday afternoon’s pre-match press conference ahead of the trip to Warrington, dad Adrian said: “He’s been one of the best halves in the competition every year he’s been here.
“He certainly plays a massive part in our team, but the great thing about Lokie is that he turns up on both sides of the field and does what he does.
“A lot of other halves don’t move around or roam around like he does… Lokie’s been unbelievable and inspirational.
“Our system is based around different variations and opportunities, and by him doing that, it brings Edwin Ipape and Gaz O’Brien in.”
Ipape has established himself as one of the best hookers in Super League over the last few years, and earlier this year was handed Leigh’s biggest contract ever to tie him down until the end of the 2031 campaign.
Lam senior continued: “I think Gaz, Edwin and Lokie probably played their best game together all season as a trio last week, which is great.
“The challenge now is to try and get that pushed into this week, then it rolls into Saints, Huddersfield and the finals.
“The timing for them is good.”
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