Leigh Leopards: Rival clubs showing interest in off-contract star, confirms coach
Ben Reynolds celebrates with team-mates against Salford Red Devils. Photo by PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo.
Leigh Leopards head coach Adrian Lam has confirmed that Ben Reynolds faces an uncertain future with rival clubs showing interest the 29-year-old playmaker.
Reynolds is off-contract at the end of the season, and boss Lam has previously expressed his desire of re-signing the half-back.
However, the Australian assistant has confirmed that the player has attracted interest from rival clubs amid ongoing contract negotiations.
Examiner Live previously reported that promotion hopefuls Featherstone Rovers have set their sights on the Challenge Cup winner, who was responsible for eight of Leigh’s 17 points during their Wembley triumph over Hull KR.
Asked about the player’s future, Lam said: “I think it’s been ongoing here with Ben, and obviously clubs outside of Leigh have come in and negotiated with him.
“We’re continuing to talk to him about that and no doubt some sort of decision will be made either way in the next couple of weeks.
“It’s in the hands of Chris Chester and the management of Ben Reynolds.
“Ben has done some great things for us this year and him as a player at this club over the last two years has been phenomenal and he’s certainly played a massive part of who we’ve become in the last two years.
“He’s an important part of our squad, especially with the finals coming up too, so this needs to get sorted either way so we can get some clarity into his head.”
Adrian Lam on 2024 recruitment
The Leopards are yet to announce any new faces for the 2024 campaign, although the side have been linked with a handful of players.
Huddersfield’s Owen Trout and St Helens duo Lewis Baxter and Dan Norman have been linked with the Leigh Sports Village, while Swinton’s Louis Brogan is also expected to make the step up, as reported by Matt Shaw.
“I think we’ve done reasonably well, we’re still going as every club is,” Lam confirmed.
“I think when the time’s right, those players will be announced. I’m just really happy and grateful for the current squad, we’ve had a lot of changes this year.
“We’ve got the smallest squad in Super League, I think there are like 16 players who are new to the club this year. We’ll continue to rotate those players and get the right ones in until we’re in a position where we are in the top two continuously.
“The club is in a very great position to be able to negotiate and talk to other players, it was different to what we had last year when we still hadn’t won the Championship and were still trying to negotiate contracts and recruits for Super League – but it has been a little bit easier on this process and it’s ongoing on a week to week basis.”