Leigh Leopards coach hints at surprise selection for Salford Red Devils clash

Leigh Leopards boss Adrian Lam has hinted that he might have to hand a surprise debut to Joe Ofahengaue against Salford Red Devils on Saturday, despite the new recruit only landing in the UK on Friday morning.

The Leopards completed the signing of Ofahengaue at the back end of last week, with the powerhouse penning a three-and-a-half-year deal having secured a release from Parramatta Eels.

29-year-old Ofahengaue had played every NRL game this season for the Eels up until that point, but signed on the dotted line to join Leigh with immediate effect until the end of the 2028 campaign.

Head coach Lam detailed that he wanted the seven-time Tonga international in his side as swiftly as possible, though had circled Leigh’s game against Catalans Dragons at Magic Weekend on May 3 in the calendar for his debut.

But now, his Super League debut could come as soon as Saturday evening.

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Leigh Leopards coach hints at surprise selection for Salford Red Devils clash

Papua New Guinean Lam confirmed the news that the prop could yet feature at the Salford Community Stadium during his pre-match press conference earlier this week.

The 54-year-old explained: “He (Ofahengaue) won’t arrive until Friday morning, so it’s probably a little bit too late to play him in that Salford game on Saturday, but if he’s feeling alright, we’ll make a late call on him.

“The smartest thing for us to do is to include him in the 21, because we have had a few niggling injuries in training this week to some of our forwards.

“That’s not been ideal, and we may have to play Joe in the end, but his arrival here will be great for the group.

“He is a big body and he’s one of those players that can hopefully fit straight into the group.

“I know him and I’ve done my homework on him as a person.

“The majority of the conversations (we’ve had) have been about his role here, his importance and the timing of his arrival.

“He’s pretty clear on that, and as much as he’s going to give us some impact ahead of the Challenge Cup semi-final (against Warrington Wolves on May 11), it’ll take him six-to-ten-weeks before he settles in and plays his best rugby.

“Luckily, he’s been playing every week, starting in the NRL. That should help him.”

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