Leigh coach makes honest admission on Papua New Guinea NRL links amid Leopards love declaration

Leigh boss Adrian Lam says he always expected to be linked with the Papua New Guinean NRL franchise job given his ties to the nation, but has reaffirmed his love for his current role with the Leopards.

Rabaul-born Lam – who will turn 55 next month – represented PNG 16 times during his playing career, featuring in two World Cups.

Since moving into the world of coaching, he has already enjoyed two stints at the helm of the Kumuls, leading them in the 2008 World Cup and then again in a three-year stint which began in 2012.

Son Lachlan – who represents PNG through his dad – is now one of the nation’s brightest stars, and last year captained the side for the first time.

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Leigh coach makes honest admission on Papua New Guinea NRL links amid Leopards love declaration

With PNG’s NRL franchise confirmed to be entering the competition Down Under in 2028, speculation has already begun over who the side’s inaugural head coach will be.

Reports in Australia have suggested that Lam’s name is likely to be in the hat given the success he has tasted in Super League with both Wigan Warriors and Leigh.

Responding to those claims during a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Lam said: “I’m not aware of that.

“I guess that it was always going to be the case wherever you coach, especially Papua New Guinea where I captained and coached, there is always going to be links with me in some capacity.

“It’s certainly nice to know that they are looking and if that’s the case, you’ll cross that bridge when it comes.

“But I know we’re building something really special here (at Leigh). It’s been a lot of a hard work to get here and we’re only just scratching the surface.”

Lam has been in charge of Leigh since the beginning of 2022, overseeing promotion back up to Super League before guiding the Leopards to the Challenge Cup in 2023 and back-to-back play-off finishes at the top table.

With his side sat 4th on the Super League ladder again as we head into the final ten rounds of the regular season, the Papua New Guinean continued: “I love this place, I love the people involved and I love our fans.

“That’s all I can say at the moment. If we keep winning, then noise will come from outside.

“We’ve lost a few players with the success we’ve had through to the NRL and I’m sure coaches will be identified from success.”

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