Leigh Leopards Coach Adrian Lam Reflects on Narrow Defeat to Wigan Warriors
In a post-match press conference following Leigh Leopards’ 24-6 loss to Wigan Warriors, head coach Adrian Lam discussed several key talking points from the hard-fought encounter. The Leopards welcomed back a trio of key players – John Asiata, Robbie Mulhern, and Gareth O’Brien – with Lam praising their impact, as well as the powerful display from prop Tom Amone.
Lam was pleased to see Asiata, Mulhern, and O’Brien return to the fold, noting their influence on the team’s performance. “We welcomed back John Asiata who hasn’t been there all year, Robbie Mulhern that’s only played a handful of games and I thought he was outstanding tonight: both him and Tom Amone.” The coach was also impressed by a try-saving tackle from Bevan French early in the game, which he believes could have been a turning point.
Regarding Asiata’s minutes, Lam explained, “It was meant to be less than that but he played a bit more (than we were expecting). I think it was 20-odd minutes but I just don’t want to overdo that one with him, he’s been out for a very long time, he’s not quite 100 per cent yet so we’ve just got to make sure that we manage his minutes.”
New signing Aaron Pene made his second appearance for the Leopards, with Lam acknowledging the time it takes for NRL imports to settle in. “His journey is about playing his part for the team. I’m really excited with what’s ahead for him so we’ll manage that process as we go along.”
Despite the defeat, Lam remains optimistic about the Leopards’ chances of making the play-offs, stating, “Traditionally, one or two teams will buckle and hopefully slip up and if they don’t then it’s out of our hands. But I think being away from home for such a long time has been difficult but going back home now with three games in a row and a big squad is pretty exciting so I’m looking forward to that.”
The Leopards will return to Leigh Sports Village for their next three fixtures against Huddersfield, London, and St. Helens, and Lam is excited about the opportunity. “It’s been a pretty hectic last two months but we get home now against Huddersfield, then London and Saints, so we’ve got three games in a row on our new pitch. It’s been redone and it looks amazing, I think the groundsmen have done an amazing job: it looks unbelievable. We’re pretty excited about that and we’ve got to go back and hopefully take the momentum with the way that we played tonight into next week’s game and try to kick on and get on a bit of a roll.”
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