Edwin Ipape’s first words following bumper contract announcement as rejected NRL club revealed

Leigh star Edwin Ipape insists it was an easy decision to pen a new long-term deal with the Leopards despite strong interest from the NRL.

Ipape, who celebrated his 26th birthday earlier this week, saw his bumper six-year contract extension at Leigh announced at the Leopards’ Den prior to Sunday’s Super League clash with Huddersfield Giants.

The hooker has been with the club since 2022, playing arguably as big a part as anyone else in their return to the top-flight and subsequent success over the last three seasons.

Establishing himself as one of the finest 9s in the competition, it came as no surprise he had been attracting interest from Down Under, particularly given he was off-contract heading into the 2025 campaign.

But just two weeks into the season, that speculation has been put to bed in a major boost for both Leigh and Super League on the whole.

Edwin Ipape’s first words following bumper contract announcement as rejected NRL club revealed

LoveRugbyLeague can now reveal that the club who had been pursuing Ipape were four-time NRL champions Sydney Roosters.

The Roosters were preparing to table a deal to sign the Papua New Guinean, we understand.

Speaking live on the BBC on Sunday, Leopards owner Derek Beaumont detailed: “It’s massive for Super League.

“You see players like Bevan French commit for a long time and to get a Dream Team player who was highly sought after – that’ll be ten consecutive years, unheard of for an overseas player – that’s something we’re delighted about.”

Ipape has also established himself on the international scene during his time with Leigh so far, taking his appearance tally for PNG into double digits.

Speaking about his new deal, the Mount Hagen native said: “I think firstly, I thank Derek and Chris Chester (Head of Rugby) and coach Lammy (Adrian Lam) for what they’ve done for the club and what they’ve done for me personally.

“Nobody knew who I was and they gave me a chance to be here and be who I am today. It shows the love and loyalty I have for this club, it wasn’t a hard decision to make.

“I think where the club is heading is in the right direction. What the owner has done and the people they’ve brought in have been very good. We’ll see a lot of success in the future, I’m pretty excited about that.”