New Leigh recruit lauds Leopards’ Papua New Guinean connection as 2026 targets set

New Leigh recruit Jacob Alick-Wiencke will line up alongside three fellow Papua New Guinea internationals next year: and has high praise for the Leopards’ connection with the Kumuls.

Alick-Wiencke has penned a three-year deal at Leigh ahead of 2026, joining from NRL outfit Gold Coast Titans.

At club level, this is his first real opportunity to earn consistent gametime at first-grade level having spent his time with the Titans largely operating in the Queensland Cup.

But on the international front, he’s already a regular in PNG’s side, born in Brisbane but a Kumuls representative through his late grandmother, who was born in Daru.

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New Leigh recruit lauds Leopards’ Papua New Guinean connection as 2026 targets set

With 11 caps to his name in their colours having made his debut against Fiji in June 2022, the 26-year-old links up with fellow countrymen Edwin Ipape and Lachlan Lam at Leigh alongside fellow new signing Liam Horne.

All four don a shirt for PNG together, and with Lachlan’s dad Adrian being the Leigh head coach, the connection to the country is seemingly ever-growing.

In his first interview with the club since landing in the UK, Alick-Wiencke revealed that it was actually while playing for the Kumuls that Leigh’s interest in him became apparent a few years ago.

He said: “When we were playing over here in the World Cup (in 2022), Lammy reached out.

“I wasn’t as keen then as I am now, it was just the unknown then.

“The opportunity came up again midway through this year and after talking about it, it came again at the end of the year.

“I was more excited to come over by then. It’s a big opportunity. I’ve been with the (Gold Coast) Titans now for four years and just been on the fringes (of the NRL side).

“I’m looking forward to coming over here and putting a bit more emphasis on my name, getting better in the space and taking the competition (Super League) by storm.”

‘Having those boys here will help to make the move easier for me, for sure… I heard Edwin is the king of Leigh, so I’ll be asking for a few tips!’

The back-rower also opened up on the Kumuls‘ connection with the Leopards, with a World Cup on the horizon this time next year which takes place Down Under between Australia and PNG.

Last time out, the Kumuls saw their World Cup journey ended by host nation England at the quarter-final stage. They will go up against Shaun Wane’s side again, but in the group stages, this time around.

Alick-Wiencke detailed: “Having those boys (fellow Papua New Guinea internationals) here will help to make the move easier for me, for sure.

“I’m quite close with Lokie, he’s been giving me some good advice about the place and helping me with the move over.

“I heard Edwin is the king of Leigh, so I’ll be asking for a few tips from him!”

“They’re a good group of lads and I’ve been playing with them for a long time now, so I’m looking forward to playing in a Leigh shirt with them.

“The last three of four years, we (Papua New Guinea) have dominated that space in the Pacific Bowl and I think PNG is on the rise in the football sense.

“We’ll keep turning up and in the World Cup, we’re looking to achieve bigger and better things.”