Leigh boss pays tribute to retiring Huddersfield icon Leroy Cudjoe with huge compliment paid
Leigh Leopards head coach Adrian Lam has paid tribute to retiring Huddersfield Giants icon Leroy Cudjoe (circle)
Leigh Leopards boss Adrian Lam has sung the praises of retiring Huddersfield icon Leroy Cudjoe, labelling him the Giants’ ‘best player’!
It was announced earlier this month that Cudjoe, who turned 37 in April, would be hanging up his boots at the end of the year.
He will do so after Friday night, when he will lead the Giants out one last time in the last game of their season away against Lam’s Leigh side.
The veteran made his senior bow for his hometown club back in February 2008, and racked up his 400th senior appearance in their colours back in July.
Leigh boss pays tribute to retiring Huddersfield icon Leroy Cudjoe with huge compliment paid
Having spent his entire career with the Giants, the only other shirt Cudjoe has donned has been an England one, featuring in the 2013 Rugby League World Cup and memorably grabbing a try against the Kangaroos in that tournament.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Thursday afternoon, Leigh head coach Lam had nothing but admiration for the stalwart, saying: “We’ve got a lot of praise for him at the club.
“If you start your career on the wing and end up in the middle, the front-row or at 13, you’re doing a pretty good job!
“To be honest with you, I think he’s their best player!
“The way he’s influenced how that team has played, and I know they probably haven’t been successful in terms of the ladder, but I think his form has been as good as any player in Super League.”
Cudjoe has indeed played in just about every position possible on the field over the course of an 18-year career, and will end his career having scored almost 150 tries.
Five of those have come in 11 career appearances against Leigh, including one in the reverse fixture at the Accu Stadium earlier this year which the Leopards won 28-24.
Lam continued: “It’s credit to him coming towards the end that he’s been able to play like that and inspire his team every week.
“He’s an inspiration for not only his team-mates, but everyone watching.”
