Leigh Leopards coach shares concerning Joe Ofahengaue prognosis amid widescale injury update

Leigh Leopards will be without influential prop Joe Ofahengaue for between three and five weeks due to a grade two hamstring strain, head coach Adrian Lam has confirmed.

Mid-season recruit Ofahengaue has been immense for the Leopards since his arrival from NRL outfit Parramatta Eeels back in April.

Featuring 14 times across all competitions for Leigh to date and scoring five tries, he has quickly established himself as a key figure within Lam’s squad.

But the ex-Tonga international was forced off just five minutes into Saturday’s defeat at Hull FC, and the prognosis on his hamstring problem is not a pleasant one.

Leigh Leopards coach shares concerning Joe Ofahengaue prognosis amid widescale injury update

Leigh – who have slipped to fifth on the Super League ladder after back-to-back losses – host financially-stricken Salford Red Devils on Friday night in a game which will see them heavily rotate in a bid to freshen things up.

Issuing a lengthy injury update in his pre-match press conference on Thursday afternoon and explaining why there will be plenty of change in his squad this week, Leopards boss Lam shared the news of Ofahengaue’s blow.

The Papua New Guinean explained: “Joffa’s had a small grade two strain on his hamstring, so that could potentially be around four-to-five weeks.

“Hopefully, if he responds quickly, that could become three weeks. We’re working on that because he’s going to be important as we get to the back end.

“Edwin (Ipape)’s had a couple of niggling injuries: his groin, his knee and his hamstring. He’s got a couple of small ones that he’s got to sort out, but that should be fine within the week (ahead of the trip to Castleford in Round 24).

“Frankie Halton’s had a sprained A/C joint up on his shoulder and players like Owen Trout have got the same.

“Umyla (Hanley)’s got a tight calf, Gaz O’Brien has had a few head knocks, the list goes on and on.”

With players dropping out for a much-needed rest, Leigh will hand opportunities to some of those who have been on the fringes in recent weeks through either injury or selection choice.

Lam detailed: “We haven’t been the team we are because players have been playing injured, and we’ve just got an opportunity there to get some fresh bodies in that are fighting for their positions.

“We’re going to wait until the end of today to finalise it, but I think there are around six players coming into the team.

“Aaron Pene, who’s been out for a long time, will be back this week. (Alec) Tuitavake is coming back into the 17, Brad Dwyer and Darnell McIntosh, AJ Towse and Andy Badrock.”

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