Leigh Leopards Bolster Pack with Signing of Melbourne Storm Forward Aaron Pene
The Leigh Leopards have announced the signing of Melbourne Storm forward Aaron Pene on a contract that will keep him at the club until the end of the 2026 season. This addition is expected to provide a significant boost to Adrian Lam’s pack, as the team navigates injuries to key forwards such as Robbie Mulhern and captain John Asiata.
Pene, who will be available for the Leopards’ upcoming trip to face the Leeds Rhinos, has secured a visa in recent days. But what can Leigh fans expect from the new recruit? Let’s delve into the comprehensive scouting report on the Australian import.
Throughout this Super League season, we’ll be bringing you the lowdown on Australian players joining the competition, and Pene is the latest to feature. The Storm prop has consistently performed well in NRL statistics, though his alphabetical position in the league has played a role in that.
“Joking aside, Pene’s abilities have caught the eye of experienced coach Craig Bellamy, who has signed him on two separate occasions – first from the Queensland Cup and then after a short-lived spell with the New Zealand Warriors.”
Standing at 6″2 and weighing 17 stones, Pene has shown solid productivity in the NRL, averaging just shy of 10 meters per run last year, which is impressive for a bench middle. However, he has struggled in areas such as winning the floor and breaking tackles.
Where Pene has excelled is in his Off Ball Volume (OBV), an advanced statistic that measures his push supports and decoys, as well as his Involvement Rate, which tracks his key contributions like runs and tackles on a per-minute basis for substitute players. This ability to maximize his minutes has caught the attention of Lam, who will likely want more from the quota spot player.
If Pene can scale up his game across an extra 10 minutes of action in the slightly lower Super League competition, he could prove to be a valuable asset for the Leigh Leopards.
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