Leigh Leopards drop major recruitment hint as 2025 squad numbers released

Leigh Leopards have released their squad numbers for the 2025 Super League season: and appear to have dropped a major hint about their recruitment plans in the process.

The Leopards have named a 31-strong squad for the new campaign, with the average age of the squad coming down from 28 to 25 in the process.

They have been in the market for a new half-back following the off-season retirement of Matt Moylan, and were pushing for a deal to sign Salford Red Devils half-back Marc Sneyd.

However, utility Gareth O’Brien has been handed the number six shirt by Adrian Lam, with Lachlan Lam wearing seven, appearing to back up owner Derek Beaumont’s comments to Love Rugby League earlier this week that they have moved on from their pursuit of Sneyd.

O’Brien and Lam look set to be Leigh’s first-choice half-back pairing going into 2025, forming a new-look backline which features new signing David Armstrong taking the number one shirt.

New signing Tesi Niu will take number three, while Umyla Hanley looks set for a switch to centre having been handed the number four shirt. Darnell Macintosh and Josh Charnley take numbers two and five respectively.

Fellow new recruit Isaac Liu, who is part of Lam’s new leadership group, takes the 13 shirt vacated by former captain John Asiata, with Alec Tuitavake wearing the 15 shirt.

Owen Trout has been rewarded for a strong 2024 campaign by being promoted to number eight, while Frankie Halton takes the 11 shirt vacated by Kai O’Donnell.

Leigh Leopards squad numbers: 1 David Armstrong, 2 Darnell McIntosh, 3 Tesi Niu, 4 Umyla Hanley, 5 Josh Charnley, 6 Gaz O’Brien, 7 Lachlan Lam, 8 Owen Trout, 9 Edwin Ipape, 10 Robbie Mulhern, 11 Frankie Halton 12, Jack Hughes, 13 Isaac Liu, 14 Aaron Pene, 15 Alec Tuitavake, 16 Matty Davis, 17 Brad Dwyer, 18 Keanan Brand, 19 Louis Brogan, 20 Ethan O’Neill, 21 Andy Badrock, 22 Ben McNamara, 23 Nathan Wilde, 24 Bailey Hodgson, 25 Ben Nakubuwai, 26 Kavan Rothwell, 27 Jack Derbyshire, 28 Brad Martin, 29 AJ Towse, 30 Ryan Brown, 31 Will Brough.

FRIDAY’S READS ON LRL

👉🏻 My Ultimate Team: Karl Harrison’s best 13 including Hull FC, Great Britain icons

👉🏻 Leigh Leopards boss reveals leadership group make-up including new overseas recruit

👉🏻 NextGen: Meet the Wigan Warriors prodigy being mentored by Sean O’Loughlin

👉🏻 Rugby Football League CEO breaks silence on Salford Red Devils crisis and ‘contingency plans’