Saints Take the Spoils

 

"We probably haven’t played that poorly since the Challenge Cup semi last year here against Warrington" Adrian Lam.

In Leigh there is a familiar saying, "In Lam we trust". Adrian Lam is that rare thing in British sport, a head coach who does not get any criticism, but sometimes there is a need to question what the hell is going on:

1. In 2023, Leigh had "The Lethal Left Edge"; it was the favoured wing for Lachlan Lam to attack on. It was stacked with Kai O'Donnell, Ricky Leutele and Josh Charnley. All of these were potential outlets for Lockie to attack with. The icing on the cake was Gaz O'Brien who played full-back and would chime in for extra punch. The right edge was to say the least a little clunky.

In 2024, Leigh signed a wonderful attacking half-back in the shape of Matt Moylan. Wonderful soft hands and eye for playing heads-up rugby. Unfortunately for Matt, his career was coming to an end due to having a weakness in defence. Moylan was switched to full-back and O'Brien moved to half-back and "The Lethal Left Edge" was no more.

In 2025, Leigh pulled off a coup, signing David Armstrong a young man with speed to burn. The half-back problem identified in 2024 would remain, and Gaz O'Brien would continue to fill in. Armstrong was injured early season but would continue to play before Leigh unearthed a gem in Bailey Hodgson.

In 2026, Leigh now have an issue that they have two outstanding Full-backs, Gaz O'Brien is now utility backup and Adam Cook is playing in the halves. 

2. In 2023 and 2024, John Asiata was the undisputed king of the Loose Forwards. 2024 was an injury-ravaged season, and Asiata would eventually seek a move to Hull FC, to gain a lengthier contract.

2025 the response from Leigh was to bring Auckland-born NRL star Issac "the Iceman" Liu to the LSV. Liu had played most of his career at Prop, but Lammy saw a loose forward in Isaac. A cool head to distribute when needed and to tuck the ball under his jumper if no options were available.

2026 Round 1 Issac Liu was on compassionate leave, returning to the UK only a matter of days before the Leeds game. The response was to utilise another Prop in the Loose Forward slot with Joe Offahengaue having a monster game. Round 2 Issac Liu is left on the bench and Joffa retained the role of 13. Earlier this week Lam had discussed his plan to utilise both hookers, Ipape and Horne, in a rotating 9 and 13 role.

Scenario 1, I can understand that circumstances dictated a personnel change. Scenario 2 makes no sense, fixing what isn't broken. After the St Helens game, Liam Horne would not be in the matchday squad, coming on to the field, his first action was a tip, 2 minutes later, he threw the ball out of the try zone for a drop out.

Lammy was not a happy camper, he labelled the performance as their ‘worst in nine months’ and full of ‘uncharacteristic’ errors. “We’re very frustrated that we put ourselves under pressure with so many penalties and errors against, it’s uncharacteristic,” Lam said post-match.
“Some players didn’t have their best games, and we’re a new team trying to find some comfort in trying to chase the game towards the end, but we just couldn’t get that together."

Congratulations to St Helens for the win; it was not the "Rowleyball" we were promised. This is very much Saints of the last few years. Kick to the corners and squeeze the attack. Hastings may see lots of the ball, but he does nothing but drop it off the big boys or kick. He is a shadow of the "man-of-steel" from 5 years ago, but he may still prove the cog that gets the team turning. As yet, I am still unconvinced.

St Helens v Leigh Leopards - Round 2 Super League 2026

 

BrewDog Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in St Helens, Merseyside, England. Previously known as the Totally Wicked Stadium, between 2017 and 2025, and as Langtree Park between 2012 and 2017, it has a capacity of over 18,000 and is the home ground of rugby league club St Helens R.F.C.

In Super League, there are two teams that didn't get the memo, Saints are one and Hull FC are the other. Super League was supposed to be about monikers, something to make dreary Northern towns sound more accessible and exotic. Hull FC had a short dalliance with Hull Sharks but they soon changed back to FC after stabbing Gateshead Thunder in the back. St Helens maybe known as the Saints, but they are not St Helens Saints, no they go by the drab Rugby Footbal Club tagline. In Britain we have clung to the past and still use RFC and RLFC, it makes no sense we are not Football Clubs we should be proud to be Rugby League. The NRL all adopted monikers, and we often refer only to the monikers. One of the newest clubs in the NRL go by the Dolphins and ignore the fact that they are really called The Redcliffe Dolphins.

Anyway I digress, Round 2 of Super League throws up an interesting tie, (dubbed the "Rowley Derby") St Helens v Leigh Leopards. St Helens are one of the most decorated teams in Rugby League:

Championships	17 (1932, 1953, 1959, 1966, 1970, 1971, 1975, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2014,  2019, 2020, 2021, 2022)
Challenge Cups	13 (1956, 1961, 1966, 1972, 1976, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2021)
World Club Challenges	3 (2001, 2007, 2023)
Other honours	39

By the virtue of being extremely successful, they are also one of the most entitled clubs and supporters in Super League. They expect to win every trophy, every year without fail (see also Wigan Warriors and Leeds Rhinos). If you doubt me then check out Redvee TV – RedVee.Net they can be found all over YouTube, and particularly interesting when Saints lose. St Helens dominated Super League for four straight seasons 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 but have been in decline ever since. 3rd, 6th and 5th would be good performances for normal teams, but for the Saints fans this is totally unacceptable. The scapegoat for their woes was club Legend Paul Wellens, his sacking at the end of the 2025 season is very much part of the current woes bestriding the club at present. Paul Rowley was drafted in from the wreakage of Salford Red Devils, along with a number of his former charges: Nene McDonald, Deon Cross and Joe Shorrocks. The shenanigans at the club resulted in no pre-planning for the 2026, and St Helens have been behind every club in a scramble for new recruits. Considering how far they were behind it is a wonder they have managed to recruit David Klemmer, Jacob Host and Jackson Hastings, plus the ex-Salford players already mentioned. For many pundits this was a team ready to assume it's rightful place at the top of Super League.

Round 1 found St Helens playing away at local rivals Warrington Wolves. The Wire had a difficult 2025, finishing in 8th place, 10 points of the play-off spots. This was considered to be an easy win for St Helens, but by half-time they were already 18 points down and an improved 2nd half did little to change peoples opinions that St Helens are perhaps not the finished article just yet.

Round 2 sees St Helens host the Leigh Leopards in a local derby. For a team under pressure so early in the competition, Saints will not be looking forward to a tussle with the Leopards. A win for Saints however, will ignite their season, but a loss will put a huge dent into any title aspirations before the season has got going. 

For Saints, having already lost their Captain Matty Lees for a 10 week period, they now have to contend with the loss of Jack Welsby for 3 months. St Helens suffered several key injuries last season, but in particular Paul Wellens was forced to tinker with the spine. It became so serious that nobody could accurately guess what spine options would be used on any given day. The start of season was still plagued with questions as to what options Rowley would choose and which square pegs would be used in which round hole. The recruitment of former Man-of-Steel Jacson Hastings, seemed to establish at least one of the spine spots. The loss of Jack Welsby will result in shuffling the pack of cards with at least 3 players: Nene McDonald, Tristan Sailor and Harry Robertson all options at Full-back. The obvious choice is for Tristan Sailor to move to number 1 and Jonny Lomax move to stand-off. For this reason I fully expect Rowley to choose Nene McDonald and shoe-horn a winger into the vacant centre spot. Whatever happens I expect some form of tinkering to this St Helens side and for Rowley he needs to find a solution fairly quickly, with Welsby out for up to 12 weeks.

Leigh Leopards on the otherhand have moved from being 11 players out for the Challenge Cup 3rd round, only 2 weeks ago to naming an almost full 21 man squad. David Armstrong is still unavailable, but the only other gap from 2-23 is that of AJ Towse, which understandable because their already 3 wingers named in the 21 man squad. 

Umyla Hanley is close to a return after injury, and Frankie Halton and Jack Hughes both picked up knocks. I fully expect Issac Liu and Aaron Pene to be in the matchday squad.

Lammy has different headaches than Rowley this week, and it going to be interesting what selection choices he will choose.

Looking forward to the lightshow at the Brewdog Stadium, once the World Club Challenge is out of the way.

Dirty Leeds

 

Dirty Leeds

"The phrase is widely traced back to 1964, during a notoriously aggressive match between Leeds United and Everton at Goodison Park. The game was so physical that the referee walked off before halftime, players clashed repeatedly, and even the crowd got involved. The Football Association labelled Leeds “Dirty Leeds” because of the team’s on‑pitch conduct, and the name stuck."

I am not trying to liken the Leeds Rhinos to Leeds United of the 1964 vintage, but for a big club, they like to recruit their fair share of "Dickheads". If you think about their current squad and previous years, you might be thinking, who are you talking about? The main protagonist is normally Jake Connor, an odious man who has caused chaos and mayhem wherever he has plied his trade, but in this case I would like to present Exhibit A, Harry James Newman, the manchild from Huddersfield. Google his name, and you will be confronted with a litany of on-field exploits, designed to intimidate and rile up the opposition over the years.He is not a good loser and an even worse winner. Matt Peet a man not known for saying bad things about the opposition. Matt Peet said of Newman, "Some players you’re just not surprised when they’re involved in incidents, are you? I don’t think anyone will be surprised.”He added: “Some players carry on when they win and some don’t. Normally the ones that win often don’t.”

If this is not usual behaviour from Matt Peet, it is even more unusual for your coach highlight your flaws publicly. Arthur described Newman as “immature” when he first arrived at Leeds", but stressed that the “penny has dropped and that the centre has undergone a real transformation in attitude and professionalism." 

Has Harry Newman changed? I am guessing the fact that I am writing about him suggests not. Dispite being picked by Shaun Wane for the final Ashes match at Headingley, I would like to highlight the two Super League matches either side of the International. The Super League Play-off eliminator in which Leeds were defeated in the now famous "Right to Wright", the Sky cameras zoomed in on Newman crying with his mother. Tristan Sailor saught to console him and pat him on the back, Newman's response was to spit "F*&# Off" as Sailor turned away. 

Harry Newman was yellow‑carded in the second half of Leeds’ 26–14 loss to Leigh Leopards. Both he and Leigh’s Matt Davis were sent to the bin after a flare‑up that followed a high‑tackle penalty against Leeds.

• Newman was described as “clearly mystified” as he left the field.

From the reporting, here’s what stands out:

1. Involved in the flare‑up that triggered the cards

The confrontation after the high‑tackle penalty is what led to the double sin‑bin. Newman was one of the central figures in that exchange.

2. Visible frustration

Newman’s reaction — looking baffled and irritated as he left the field — was noted in match reports. This fits the pattern of him being an emotionally charged player, though nothing beyond the flare‑up was reported.

What the report does not highlight was that he was constantly picking a fight with his opposite number Tesi Niu. The Sin-binning was due to Newman letting the confrontations build up to that point.

It looks like this is an overspill from the season before. The report states:

1. Repeated dissent toward the referee

Multiple match reports noted that Newman was visibly frustrated, particularly in the second half. He was spoken to by the referee more than once for:

• Arguing decisions
• Gesturing after calls
• Continuing to complain after being told to move away

This didn’t lead to a card, but it did contribute to the narrative that he needed to control his emotions better.

2. A confrontation with Leigh players

Late in the game, Newman became involved in a minor confrontation after a tackle. It didn’t escalate into anything serious, but it was enough for commentators to remark that he was “boiling over” and needed to calm down.

If this is the more mature Harry Newman, then I for one can't wait for him to join the Perth Bears next season.

Predictions are Like Arseholes. Everybody Has Got One

 

Aaron Bower has managed to get two articles in The Guardian on the eve of the start of Super League XXX nod to the Super Bowl). Super League returns and, 30 years on, it’s going back to the future | Super League | The Guardian and Super League 2026: team-by-team guide to the new season | Super League | The Guardian. I am a fan of Aaron, especially when he gets a few column inches in a daily newspaper. Below is his prediction for the Leigh Leopards:

Leigh Leopards

Had it not been for Hull KR’s treble, Leigh would have been the story of 2025. A Championship club as recently as 2022, the Leopards secured their highest finish last season, falling just short of a maiden Grand Final. They should make the top six again, but their squad looks slightly light in a couple of key areas. Injuries could leave them in trouble.

Coach Adrian Lam Captain Lachlan Lam Key player Lachlan Lam Last season 3rd Prediction 6th

Leigh, having finished 5th, 4th and 3rd and ranked the 3rd best in the competition by IMG ratings over the the 3 year period, is going to go into reverse and finish in the last slot in the play-offs. Funnily enough Aaron Bower in Love Rugby League on the 10th February - Super League predictions: Our writers tip Leeds Rhinos for title predicted that Leigh would drop out of the play-off race and finish 7th. Aaron either does not keep a tab on his own predictions, or he has changed his mind in the last 2 days. Aaron's big argument is: "They should make the top six again, but their squad looks slightly light in a couple of key areas. Injuries could leave them in trouble." The reality is Leigh has suffered injuries to key players over the last 2 seasons and still managed to find themselves in the top 4. In my opinion, the depth of the squad is much greater than that of some of their nearest rivals. Wigan, Warrington and Leeds have filled the high numbers in their squads with academy players. Leigh, on the other hand, has Super League experience down to 26. Nathan Wilde has 12 games under his belt.

Aaron Bower – Love Rugby League
1. Hull KR
2. Leeds Rhinos
3. Wigan Warriors
4. St Helens
5. Hull FC
6. Wakefield Trinity
7. Leigh Leopards
8. Catalans Dragons
9. Castleford Tigers
10. Warrington Wolves
11. Huddersfield Giants
12. York Knights
13. Toulouse Olympique
14. Bradford Bulls

Aaron Bower – Guardian
1. Hull KR
2. Leeds Rhinos
3. Wigan Warriors
4. St Helens
5. Hull FC
6. Leigh Leopards
7. Wakefield Trinity
8. Catalans Dragons
9. Castleford Tigers
10. Warrington Wolves
11. Huddersfield Giants
12. York Knights
13. Toulouse Olympique
14. Bradford Bulls

Matt Shaw – Love Rugby League
1. Leigh Leopards
2. Leeds Rhinos
3. Hull KR
4. Wigan Warriors
5. Hull FC
6. Wakefield Trinity
7. St Helens
8. Warrington Wolves
9. Catalans Dragons
10. Huddersfield Giants
11. Castleford Tigers
12. Toulouse Olympique
13. Bradford Bulls
14. York Knights

Ben Olawumi – Love Rugby League
1. Wigan Warriors
2. Leeds Rhinos
3. Hull KR
4. St Helens
5. Hull FC
6. Leigh Leopards
7. Warrington Wolves
8. Wakefield Trinity
9. Catalans Dragons
10. Castleford Tigers
11. Bradford Bulls
12. Toulouse Olympique
13. York Knights
14. Huddersfield Giants

Louis Chapman-Coombe – Love Rugby League
1. Hull KR
2. Leeds Rhinos
3. Wigan Warriors
4. St Helens
5. Wakefield Trinity
6. Leigh Leopards
7. Hull FC
8. Warrington Wolves
9. Catalans Dragons
10. Castleford Tigers
11. Huddersfield Giants
12. York Knights
13. Bradford Bulls
14. Toulouse Olympique

Will Jackson – SARL
1. Wigan Warriors
2. Hull KR
3. St Helens
4. Leeds Rhinos
5. Hull FC
6. Leigh Leopards
7. Warrington Wolves
8. Wakefield Trinity
9. Huddersfield Giants
10. Catalans Dragons
11. Castleford Tigers
12. York Knights
13. Bradford Bulls
14. Toulouse Olympique

Sam Brocksam - SARL
1. Wigan Warriors
2. ⁠Leigh Leopards
3. ⁠Hull KR
4. ⁠Leeds Rhinos
5. ⁠St Helens
6. ⁠Catalans Dragons
7. ⁠Hull FC
8. ⁠Warrington Wolves
9. ⁠Wakefield Trinity
10. ⁠Castleford Tigers
11. ⁠York Knights
12. ⁠Huddersfield Giants
13. ⁠Toulouse Olympique
14. ⁠Bradford Bulls

Sam Cook – SARL
1: Leigh Leopards
2: Wigan Warriors
3: Hull KR
4: St Helens
5: Hull FC
6: Leeds Rhinos
7: Warrington Wolves
8: Catalans Dragons
9: Wakefield Trinity
10: Huddersfield Giants
11: Castleford Tigers:
12: York Knights
13: Toulouse Olympique
14: Bradford Bulls

All Out Rugby League chickened out of full predictions.

Leigh Leopards v Leeds Rhinos - Round 1 Super League 2026

 

If Adrian Lam invites you over for Poker night, I would recommend that you politely decline. A week on from the 4th Round of the Challenge Cup, when Lammy stated that he only had 19 players available to choose from. The injured players have risen one by one like Lazarus, to create an almost 1st choice 21 man squad for the first game of the season. At first look it is an almost complete consecutive numbers down to about 19. Missing is the most obvious David Armstrong at Full-back, but Leigh fans have grown used to seeing Bailey Hodgson fill in that role. The mysterious Issac Liu returns, some believe he has been out of the country and only returned today. The Iceman is a welcome return if he is match fit, this will push the attack out +1. Ipape-Liu-Cook-Lam and suddenly the focus is on the edges. At centre Umyla Hanley has been named. The 2025 Dream Team member was expected to be out for 4 weeks, but instead he is named after only one week off.

Matt Davis and Liam Horne return to the squad after injuries. Davis was expected to return after receiving stiches at the Warrington friendly, and Horne has served his HIA protocol after being dazed and confused in the same game. Question marks still remain over Mulhern, Liu and Hanley, and it is not beyond Lammy to add them into the 21 man squad, just to give Brad Arthur something to think about.

1. Bailey Hodgson
2. Keanan Brand
3. Umyla Hanley
4. Tesi Niu
5. Josh Charnley
6. Adam Cook
7. Lochlan Lam
8. Joe Ofahengaue
9. Edwin Ipape
10. Owen Trout
11. Frankie Halton
12. Jacob Alick-Wiencke
13. Issac Liu
14. Liam Horne
15. Robbie Mulhern
16. Andrew Badrock
17. Matt Davis
18. Jack Hughes

Brad Arthur already has plenty to think about. Top of the pops, is reigning Man-of-Steel, Jake Connor, who took a knock to his knee in training, and is expected to just miss one game. prop forward Mikolaj Oledzki, who picked up a rib injury in Saturday's Challenge Cup tie at Widnes Vikings. Elsewhere, Cameron Smith is also absent after picking up a knock against Widnes. Middle forwards Keenan Palasaia and Jeremiah Mata'utia remain sidelined, while outside backs Ash Handley and Maika Sivo are still out, with long-term absentees Alfie Edgell and Max Simpson missing.

I questioned whether the Leeds squad had enough depth to it, and already we are looking at 5 players who do not currently have squad numbers. Make your own call, but the Rhinos look like a patched up side at the start of the season, even before a huge game in Las Vegas for round 3.

Crazy News Day

 

Rebuild for 2027

When Leigh builds a good team, the foundations invariably get removed from underneath them. 2024 witnessed the disbanding of the Challenge Cup-winning team, with the departures of Asiata, Amone and O'Donnell. 2026 will see the pack decimated by Mulhern and Trout leaving for new adventures. Owen Trout electing to move to the Cronula Sharks is a bit easier to understand than Robbie Mulhern choosing to go to Castleford. Good luck Owen you deserve your chance in the NRL.

The Leopards, on the other hand, are left trying to find British props in a competitive Super League market. The overseas quota space will need to be filled by a dynamic Prop, ready to come straight into the starting 13. Lammy's focus needs to switch to the remaining players who are out of contract at the end of the season. Umyla Hanley was the success story, but losing Mulhern and Trout makes it imperative that Bailey Hodgson remains at the club. As discussed yesterday, there are questions over Issac Liu Leopards are Massive: Where is Issac Liu?

Leigh Leopards are Underdogs!

Predictions from the pundits and journalist time. With the Super League launch set for kick-off on Thursday, it is compulsory to make predictions about how the upcoming season will pan out. In essence, most people are of the opinion that the top 6 is between 9 different clubs. It is, of course, guesswork and not real analysis as for were the teams will finally settle. The betting odds for the top 4 are as follows:

• 1st Place: Wigan Warriors – 2/1
• 2nd Place: Hull KR – 11/5
• 3rd Place: Leeds Rhinos – 11/2
• 4th Place: St Helens – 7/1

Picking Wigan, Saints and Leeds would appear on any prediction list from the last 30 years. In many ways, it is lazy punditry. Hull KR, of course, must be in the reckoning having managed the incredible feat of attaining the treble. 

In 2022, St Helens won their fourth final in a row, but the team has been in decline since. 2023 saw them finish in 3rd on the same points as Wigan and Catalans. In 2024, they only just managed to squeeze into the play-offs on the same points as Catalans Dragons, who finished 7th. St Helens were 12 points off 2nd place Hull KR. The Saints won only 15 games out of 27, far below the expectations of their fans. 2025 was another disappointing season with a slightly more acceptable 17 wins out of 27 games. A change of coach and a large-scale recruitment (for St Helens), and now everybody expects them to be winners again. Saints have recruited well in Klemmer and Hastings, but have lost the rock of the team with the departure of Morgan Knowles. The team are expected to attack from any position, but in the last few years, the Saints have relied on defence. Changing tack will come with it's own dangers, and somebody is going to have to make up for the 40+ tackles Knowles would make in a game. The biggest issues with St Helens in the last few years are a lack of a cutting edge in attack and the lack of a settled spine. Lomax is still at the club, but he may be an unsettling influence on the team. Alex Walmsley and Mark Percival are likely to be on the wane. Not surprisingly, Percival has been offered to other clubs to keep out of the way. Welsby appears to be the chosen Full-back but last season he was well below his usual high standard. The Ashes highlighted a player struggling mentally and physically. Tristan Sailor is not a winger or a stand-off. His only major skill appears to be blistering pace. He offers very little in defence, and teams will target his channel. Jackson Hastings will be the lightning rod for the team, but after a number of years back in the NRL, he is not the player he once was. There is talent throughout this squad, but there are also weaknesses. They will probably relish piling the points on the bottom 6 teams, but history suggests they now struggle against the top 4 and Warrington. There are just too many question marks against this team to assume that the Saints are back. As a side issue, the new captain Matty Lees is set to missthe first 8 weeks of the season.

Love Rugby League are just typical of lazy punditry - Super League predictions: Our writers tip Leeds Rhinos for title. Leeds Rhinos are another team the pundits love to love. In reality, they have had a rubbish decade so far, and are still grappling with the issues of salary cap and NRL poaching. They have a team to compete with anybody, but the squad appears to have a large number of academy players who are not quite ready to make the step up. Without injuries, they are incredibly dangerous, but if required to delve into the lower squad numbers, they might well struggle.

Aaron Bower has followed a familiar trope and suggests that Leigh Leopards will slip out of the play-offs (hopefully, Aaron wants a Derek Humble Pie). Matt Shaw oddly mirrors my predictions with Leigh to finish top and Wigan to drop out of the top 2. I was not brave enough to make the call that the Grand Finalists of the last two seasons would both finish without home sem-finals.

What is Lammy Talking About?

Love Rugby League Leigh Leopards boss bemoans ruck speed rule changes for 2026 interview with Adrian Lam. I have read the law changes but I have no idea what he is complaining about. 

"It was confirmed ahead of the start of the 2026 campaign that players would now be forbidden from encroaching within ten metres of any opponent that is waiting for the ball. They must also surrender when an opponent gains possession of the ball."

Lying on the ruck is a straightforward issue, and I am happy with how it is officiated in 2026. Not sure how Lammy thinks the game was fast enough last season, or why lying on the floor behind the play the ball is considered to be ok.

Where is Issac Liu?

 

Not a murder mystery, but as usual, Adrian Lam has been quite cryptic. Here is where the confusion arises, Adrian Lam said last week, "Of our 30-man squad, there are 11 unavailable and only 19 available" So far so good. "We’ve only got 19 to choose from for this week; there are ten players out."

From that conversation, we know the 19-man squad that was named for the trip to Colwyn Bay:

1. Bailey Hodgson
2. Innes Senior 
3. Tesi Niu 
4. Keanan Brand
5. Josh Charnley
6. Adam Cook 
7. Lachlan Lam
8. Robbie Mulhern
9. Edwin Ipape
10. Owen Trout
11. Frankie Halton
12. Jacob Alick-Wiencke
13. Jack Hughes
14. Andrew Badrock
15. Ben McNamara 
16. Nathan Wilde
17. Gareth O’Brien
18. AJ Towse
19. Ryan Brown

On top of that, we have the 4 injured against Warrington the week before:

1. Umyal Hanley (Rotator Cuff)
2. Joe Ofahengaue (3 teeth and HIA)
3. Liam Horne (HIA)
4. Matt Davis (Gash on leg with stitches)

Already missing from the friendly against Warrington:

1. Aaron Pene
2. Issac Liu
3. Louis Brogan (Injured)
4. David Armstrong (Injured - ACL)

Status Unknown:

1. Kavan Rothwell
2. Will Brough
3. Oliver Polec

The finger appears to be pointing at Aaron Pene or Issac Liu. The final piece of the jigsaw was the clue on the Leopards website, and the men's team photos.

Everybody has a photo, with the exception of Issac. If Issac has gone back to Australia, Samoa or New Zealand for personal reasons, then what is the big issue? The public have no right to know why, but if a star player is not available we should have some idea in which round to expect him back. Not because we are nosy we just want to see the strongest team available at the start of the season, especially as we face Leeds, St Helens and Wigan as the first 3 games.

North Wales Crusaders v Leigh Leopards, 7th February 2026, Challenge Cup Round 3

 

Competitive Rugby League is back! First things first, I was almost right about the match day squad. Leopards are Massive: Bring Yer Boots (You Might Get a Game). Will Brough was not included, and Ryan Brown was added due to the need to add forwards. Ben McNamara stepped down to 18th man with Gaz O'Brien entering the fray as the replacement dummy half to give Edward Ipape a rest.

A review of the backs, Bailey Hodgson was strong on carries, Tesi Niu was very quiet, but Josh Charnley was busy and collected a brace of tries. Keenan Brand, however, seems to have let last season's performances get to his head. He needs to knuckle down and complete the basics; at least he didn't get sin-binned this week. 

At half-back, Adam Cook and Lockie Lam are still working on combinations, but the new secret weapon in the Leopards' armoury is the left boot of Cooky. Standard end of sets are producing towering kicks into the corner, with plenty of time for the advancing players to get into position. There is still a reluctance to challenge for the ball, preferring to play the percentages and nail the catcher before he can start to move. A booming 30-10 kick from Cook was the highlight of his night, but his goal kicking will be the most important thing that he brings to the Leopards this season.  Lockie was much more fluid, but it took at least 20 minutes to find his feet. A brace of tries topped off a solid performance.

Forwards, a 20 minute stint from both Robbie Mulhern and Owen Trout, with more minutes in the legs,  both should be fully fit for a Super League opener next week. The second row both played 80 minutes, with Jacob Alick putting in a stint and looking a little more assured as the starting player he is supposed to be. Frankie Halton ran hard all night, but dropped at least one on the night; it was a good stint.

The reserve props Nathan Wilde and Ryan Brown (the Bash Brothers) played long minutes, with some good aspects; both might be ready for appearances on the bench in the coming weeks. The pick of the subs goes to Andrew Badrock, and if the BBC are correct, he scored a wonder try at the end, with incredible balance and perseverance. Gaz O'Brien offered good distribution from dummy half, but looked far more comfortable when moved to full-back for the last 10 minutes.

Rumours of a sell-out at the Eirias Stadium, appear to have been very wide of the mark. The travelling army of Leopards fans had a good evening on the coast, without too much jeopardy. Any signs of a banana skin were soon allayed, with Leigh firmly encamped in the Crusaders' red zone.

Adrian Lam, in the post-match interview, stated, "I couldn't have hoped for any more." 

Highlights | North Wales Crusaders vs Leigh Leopards | Challenge Cup

Warrington Wolves v Leigh Leopards (Friendly) 29th January 2026

 

A wet, windy and cold evening in Warrington for a local friendly. I have no desire to discuss the game due to the chaotic nature of interchanges, but I will identify a few performances and the refereeing of the game. 

With the law changes, both sides failed to adapt to the new interpretation of the rules in the first half. This was costly to Leigh, with Sneyd able to hammer the penalties 50 metres downfield with the wind at his back. The best player on show was definitely Danny Walker, who used the quicker rucks to steal metres at every play-the-ball, in a way that his opposite number never managed. Sneyd and Williams were largely anonymous except for the forward pass from Williams for the second try. Not sure how the officials miss these things when a player before the white line passes and the receiving player is on the other side of the markings. At least 2 points were not at stake. Not sure how video refs can make calls on knock-ons but not forward passes.

There were no exceptional performances from the Leopards, but there are encouraging signs from Adam Cook, who possesses a booming left peg. This is an area in which Leigh has always struggled. Lam worked on kicking longer distances last season, but Gaz O'Brien always struggled to get big metres from the boot. Cook also converted two tries from the left edge, which should, in theory, be the most difficult kick for left footer.

Not related to the game itself, but the Leigh pack looked very light without Mulhern and Liu, both of whom did not take part in the game. Added to these absences, Joe Offahengaue and Liam Horne have potential HIA protocols to fulfil for next week's 3rd round Challenge Cup fixture. 

The new recruits, Liam Horne looked lively until he got his tackle technique all wrong and was removed for an HIA. Innes Senior looks ungainly with his 6ft 4in matchstick frame. Considering his height, he looks decidedly iffy under the high ball. Jacob Alick-Wienke does worry me. He was totally anonymous playing for PNG in the recent Pacific Bowl tournament, and only marginally better in this friendly match. Lammy talks about his X-factor, but unless things change, I predict a swap in positions with Owen Trout.

Leigh are currently miles away from being ready to face Leeds in Round 1. Can't blame the weather, it can be just as bad in February as it was in January. Leigh also need to learn how to defend short kick-offs and drop outs. If not they are going to coughing up possession about 75% of the time.

Tom Grant was the official for this game, and after one penalty for interference at the play-the-ball, it became very obvious when the whistle would blow. Without video referees, it is quite easy to see how much they depend on the technology to get them out of a hole.

Looking forward to a faster game throughout the season. The players are still probing how far they can go before they test the referees patience.

Headhunters (and not the PNG variety)

 

Two weeks until the start of the 2026 season, we are still dealing with recruitment and retention for 2027. Leopards are Massive: Salary Cap, Retention & Recruitment written less than two weeks ago is already out of date.

Players and agents have a full year to negotiate the next move or new contract. Most of the current activity is based around Leeds and Leigh, two clubs that finished in the top 4 last season. Leeds have seen James McDonnell and Harry Newman get NRL booty calls from the newly formed Perth Bears. Former Leeds captain Cam Smith is going to the slightly less glamorous Wakefield Trinity. In previous years, you might have expected these kinds of players to see out their playing days at a large club like Leeds. The Rhinos are no longer exempt from having players headhunted.

Leigh Leopards are a few weeks behind the curve, although they did see Ethan O'Neill choose Headingley for the new season despite still having a year left on his contract. Rumours suggest a falling out, and  Lammy can be just as ruthless as Willie Peters if people are not toeing the line. Leigh have had to deal with survival uncertainty since being promoted. Contracts of two years became the norm, with neither club nor player wanting to commit to longer deals. With security comes longer contracts; the best example is Edwin Ipape, who signed with Leigh until the end of the 2031 season. Wigan have mitigated against the NRL clubs raiding all their young talent, including Brad O'Neill, Jake Wardle Kaide Ellis, Sam Walters and in much demand Junior Nsemba.

Leigh have managed to secure Umyla Hanley, but lost Robbie Mulhern to the Castleford Tigers. Chris Chester, with his insider knowledge manged to secure Mulhern. From the outside, the deciding factors would appear to be a return to West Yorkshire and a lengthy contract at 3 years. This will take Robbie to his 35th birthday, and a date with destiny as to whether to retire or continue. Leigh have often chosen the safer option with contract lengths when players are in their thirties. John Asiata, when aged 31, was offered a 3-year contract with Hull FC or a 2-year contract at Leigh. John has missed chunks of the last two seasons, and it remains to be seen whether Leigh or Hull FC got that call right.

Owen Trout appeared to have agreed terms with Leigh 2 weeks ago. The contract remains unsigned, and interest has come from both the NRL and Super League. Gut feeling suggests he is probably heading to the Southern Hemisphere for next year, with Cronulla Sharks and Perth Bears both expressing an interest. 

Lammy remains relatively chilled about the situation, as he did when Leigh lost Tom Amone, Kai O'Donnell, Zak Hardaker and John Asiata. The policy is to bring young talent under the age of 25, from the Australian Cup competitions. Leeds, by contrast, will look to the academy to blood some more youngsters.

Rugby League Fans and the Away Games

 

For Rugby League fans, it is a cold and desolate wait for the new season. The 2025 Super League season ended with the Grand Final on Saturday 11th October 2025, with the Challenge Cup 3rd Round starting on the weekend of 7th/8th February 2026, a total of 119 days, with only Christmas and New Year to brighten the wait. The result of the waiting is the need to attend Friendlies and Testimonials. The first such event is the annual pilgrimage to the Halliwell Jones stadium, the home of the Warrington Wolves, on Friday, 30th January 2026. Personally, this is the nearest Super League to my home, at 3.3 miles, it is actually walkable at an estimated 1 hour and 10 minutes. This, compared to the home games at the LSV, is an absolute doddle.

Every year I always attend at least one away game (Warrington) plus a special trip. This started:

• 2021 – Magic Weekend Newcastle
• 2022 – 1895 Cup & (Challenge Cup final was a bonus) also included Featherstone, York, Bradford, Sheffield, Widnes and Halifax
• 2023 – Challenge Cup final Wakefield
• 2024 – London Broncos
• 2025 – Perpignon and St Helens (semi-final Challenge Cup)
• 2026 – York, Colwyn Bay and Magic Weekend (Everton)

2022 was a great year in the Championship, with most games being played on a Sunday, which allows the travelling supporter to be able to get across the Pennines without worrying too much about traffic on the M62. The other years are all Super League years, Wigan and St Helens have always been slightly more intimidating places to go, and until 2025, wins against the local rivals were as rare as hen's teeth, hopefully that will change now the hoodoo has been broken.

Round 3 of the Challenge Cup sees the Super League teams join the competition. All top-flight teams are supposed to play away, although Hull KR and Warrington think they are exempt from this ruling (I think that I will save that rant for another time). Leigh has drawn North Wales Crusaders on the 7th February 2026, and having been starved of Rugby League during the dark nights, it was decided to buy tickets for the short trip to Colwyn Bay (63 miles away). I appear not to be the only person with the same idea, and The Stadiwm CSM (see photo above), appears to be heading for a sell-out. 

A big part of these trips away is to have a weekend away or, at the very least, a nice meal. I will be looking forward to visiting Porth Eireas (Michelin Bib Gourmand) for something fishy before heading to the ground. The Stadiwm CSM looks like a nice stadium, but suffering the misfortune of having an athletics track around the pitch. Opera glasses might be the order of the day. Still only two more days until I hear the roar of the Halliwell Jones Stadium, and enjoy a curry with a cold pint of Cobra.

Leigh Leopards Squad 2026

January 2026, the Leigh Leopards have yet to unveil an away strip or squad numbers. The starting XIII is fairly nailed on, so I am going to make a best guess and review of the team.

1. David Armstrong - Spent most of the season with a knee strapping and is believed to have played six games with a serious ACL injury. The speedster ran around Sam Tomkins in Perpignan on one leg. Adrian Lam has so far not unlocked the try-scoring potential of Armstrong. Expected to be available in March, the combinations and set pieces should be in place and ready for his return. 15 games and 8 tries last term, the LSV is looking forward to dry tracks in the summer months.

2. Keenan Brand - 2021 Brand appeared on loan at the LSV from Warrington. He is by far the longest-serving player at the club. Offering utility at Fullback, Wing and Centre, Brand's breakout season was 2025 on the right wing. Partnering Umyla Hanley, Brand was able to touch down 16 times, placing him as the top try-scoring Leopard. The right edge became a fertile hunting ground for Leigh as teams finally sussed out how to close down the left edge.

3. Tesi Niu - Right edge centre, with the best chant in Rugby League. Built like a forward with the pace of a back, Tesi likes nothing better than running through opposition defences. Only Lachie Miller managed more Tackle Busts than Tesi, with 141 to his name. Niu only managed 6 tries, but it is anticipated he will find his way to line more often now he is hitting form. 3254 Metres from 382 carries at an average of 8.52 puts him in the top twenty for average metres and top 10 for overall metres.

4. Umyla Hanley - Originally starting out as a winger, Hanley became one of the standout centres in the competition and earned a place in the Dream Team, just above Tesi Niu. Super League fans were impressed with how Umyla was rescued from a life on the building site by Adrian Lam, when he was released by Wigan at the end of the 2022 season.

5. Josh Charnley - The 34-year-old veteran had a mixed season. A string of poor performances saw Charnley slip down the order at the LSV. A return to the squad saw Charnley break a raft of try-scoring records, and as the 2nd highest try scorer in Super League history is still on the hunt for Ryan Hall's record, sitting 8 tries behind the Leeds legend.

6. Adam Cook - The first of the new recruits. Cook has already been earmarked to replace Gaz O'Brien in the key spine position of Stand-off. It is hoped that Cook's superior kicking game, from both hand and the tee will propel Leigh into the top two positions. Much will depend on how he gels with Lachlan Lam.

7. Lachlan Lam - The most influential player in Super League. 41 Try Assists would normally see a player swoop up the Man of Steel award in any given year. Still, he was seen as the only 3rd best hal-back in the Dream Team awards. This was Lam's most productive season by a mile. Improvements in his kicking game saw him achieve 5 Forty-Twenty's, putting him on par with the best kickers in the game. Expect to see the double pump and the Sydney Harbour pass many times next season.

8. Joe Ofahengaue - One of the best mid-season signings in Super League history. 30-year-old Joe, already has 200 NRL games under his belt and arrived at the LSV with thoughts of retirement nowhere near the forefront of his mind. 15 Games and five tries for the Leopards transformed their season. An off-load game which averages nearly two a game, bore fruits to the fantastic try by Edwin Ipape against Wigan. 

9. Edwin Ipape - The jewel in the crown, confirmed his loyalty to Adrian Lam and the Leopards faithful, with a new contract which takes him to end of 2031. Any worries of him returning home to the new franchise team PNG Chiefs have been dashed. A regular try scorer, running from dummy half and huge defensive hits have made him a hero in Leigh and the Super League in general.

10. Robbie Mulhern - The Irish international prop had a relatively quiet 2025 season. Suffering a number of injuries, he failed to play to his full potential. Believed to be happy at Leigh, at the age of 31, he might see it has the last chance to mix it up with the best of the NRL. 

11. Frankie Halton - Local boy made good. Frankie had moved around before landing his dream of playing for the Leopards. A tackle machine in the 2 row, Frankie added to this, an eye for the try line. Taking the spot vacated by Kai O'Donnell, Halton was often the crash ball outlet for Lachlan Lam.

12. Owen Trout - England International, Trout has flourished under the stewardship of Adrian Lam. Enjoying both the position of Prop forward and 2nd row when required. On numerous occasions was seen skipping his way to the try-line, most notably in the Magic Weekend game against Catalans Dragons. Last year of current contract, rumours suggest that Trout was wanting more money than Wigan Warriors were prepared to pay. He does have ambitions to go to Australia, but everybody wants him to stay.

13. Isaac Liu - Last season Liu had big shoes to fill, with the loss of John Asiata. Issac is not a natural loose forward but he certainly grew into the role. Every present in the Leigh side the "Iceman" always took the right option. Not risking passes and dangerous off-loads he would take the ball and drive. 300 career games and two NRL Grand Final medals to his name, it is surprising that he goes under the radar. Out of contract at the end of the season, LIU would still be good for another 2 seasons.

14. Aaron Pene - An injury-affected season, Pene is incredibly athletic for a prop forward. Perhaps he has not hit the heights expected of him, but he is still a useful bench forward.

15. Jacob Alick-Wienke - The PNG International 2nd row forward is a direct replacement for the departing Ethan O'Neill. Highly rated by Adrian Lam, we will reserve judgment. Certainly a big unit at 6ft 4in.

16. Gareth O'Brien - the 34-year-old Gaz O'Brien has had a mixed career. Whatever team he plays for they have looked to replace him. Always plays the game at 100% but as a result receives more than his fair share of HIA's. Leigh will look to use him sparingly and would not be surprised to see him move into coaching. Good cover ain the halves and at full-back.

17. Liam Horne - The much under-rated PNG international will provide plenty of cover at both 9 and 13. He provides a similar range of skills to Edwin Ipape and will benefit from working with Edwin and Adrian Lam. Having spent the last 3 years at Castleford, it will be a nice change for Horne to work behind a pack with more go-forward.

18. Bailey Hodgson - A breakthrough season for Hodgson, playing both on the wingand at full-back. He will start the season as the first-choice full-back until Armstrong is fit and ready to go. Bailey's stats for 2025 are amazing with 498 carries, 3907 metres at an average carry of 7.85. Hodgson offers the team a different dimension to Armstrong, and it would be wonderful to have an amalgamation of the two players. It will be very hard to keep such a talent out of the playing squad.

19. Jack Hughes - The 34-year-old veteran with 295 Super League career appearances is possibly coming to the end of his usefulness. Last season he featured in almost every match-day squad. If Jack only makes 10-15 appearances, that means that the Leopards have a relatively clean bill of health. Often playing as a generic forward, the team will have a dip in performance, often on at the same time as Matt Davis. A faithful squad player was released by Warrington 3 seasons ago because he was not quite good enough.

20. Matt Davis - "The Axe", not quite big enough for the modern game, lacks basic passing skills, but he does chase hard to harry the kicker. 2025 was a good season for Davis, with the most number of tries in a season (4) and 27 match appearances.

21. Andrew Badrock - Badrock gained the trust of Adrian Lam, and can be expected to appear in that strange hybrid role 2nd row/centre. Appeared to be not out of place in either role and can expect to make more than the 13 appearances he managed in 2025. At 25, Badrock is still learning the game.

22. Ben McNamara - At the age of 24, McNamara as been in around Super League setups for the last 5 years. Although talented, there is a nagging doubt that he will ever get regular game time in his chosen position. This season will see him drop down another peg, with Adam Cook, who is a similar age. 

23. Innes Senior -  Senior comes into the squad as a direct replacement for Darnell McIntosh. It is not obvious who got the better of the deal between Leigh and Castleford. Senior has struggled to settle down earlier in his career, but did have stability at Castleford. Innes managed 14 tries in 2024 and appears to the casual observer to have more pace than McIntosh. How many games Senior makes remains to be seen.

24. Louis Brogan - Brogan, another Leigh lad. He has made several appearances, but has never set the world alight. Trusted by Lam to do a job, it is hoped he will eventually blossom into a regular squad player.

25. AJ Towse - Towse has a 100% win record with Leigh. Chances have been fleeting, but Lam has no issues deploying him when needed.

26. Will Brough - An early-season injury to Brough curtailed his Leigh career. He is a young lad, and whilst talented, it may still be a few years before he gets his chance.

27. Nathan Wilde - Wilde has been drafted on a few occasions, but it remains to be seen if he gets a chance in the near future.

28. Ryan Brown

29. Oliver Polec - New signing, unsure what the plans are for this young man.

30. Brad Martin - Forgotten man. Is he still with the club?

31. Kavan Rothwell - another forgotten man. Is he still with the club?