Leigh Leopards in market for forward as coach makes honest recruitment admission

Leigh boss Adrian Lam admits they are short of a middle, with the Leopards keeping an eye on the recruitment market as they aim to bolster their pack.

The Leopards lost Alec Tuitavake during the off-season, but brought in Jacob Alick-Wiencke along with Liam Horne and youngster Oliver Polec.

Back-rower Alick-Wiencke and Horne, who can play at either hooker or loose, have established themselves in Lam’s squad.

But Polec is yet to make a senior appearance, and front-rower Aaron Pene – whose spell at Leigh has been blighted by injury issues – has been touted to clubs as the Leopards look to offload him, as revealed by LoveRugbyLeague earlier this month.

Leigh Leopards in market for forward as coach makes honest recruitment admission

Come the end of this year, the Leopards will have to fill a number of spots in their pack, with Robbie Mulhern heading to Castleford Tigers, Owen Trout to NRL outfit Cronulla Sharks and Pene coming to the end of his stay.

Head coach Lam admitted: “We’re always keeping an eye on what’s available to potentially make us stronger, we probably are short a middle there along the way.

“It’s certainly part of our club developing to where we want to be to make sure we’re always strengthening in different areas.

“To answer the question, absolutely (we’re looking at bringing someone in).”

Leigh are no stranger to a mid-season move having brought in influential prop Joe Ofahengaue on a long-term deal this time last year from NRL side Parramatta Eels.

Asked whether any potential signing would come from overseas this time around, with one quota spot currently available in his squad, Lam said: “That’s an option for us. I think we’ve done that as well as any club in Super League, to be honest.

“The way we’ve identified some players and helped them progress in our system has been a highlight.

“It’s about just making sure we do our homework correctly, and the timing of it all and the right person – not only as a player, but as a person, is important to us.

“That process will continue throughout the whole year, we’re certainly getting some players back now from injuries, so it looks like some light at the end of the tunnel.”