LIVEWIRE hooker Edwin Ipape has hailed his mentor Adrian Lam as attempts to build on a dream season by helping Leigh hit the heights once again.
It’s been an exciting ride for the Papua New Guinea dynamo since he rocked up in the UK as an unknown to many (but certainly not his compatriot and coach) two years ago.
Having played a key role as Leigh won the 1895 Cup and promotion from the Championship in 2022, the man from Mount Hagen in the Oceanic country’s Western Province then helped the Kumuls reach the World Cup quarter-finals (Lam was assistant coach of winners Australia).
Ipape followed that up by helping his club lift the Challenge Cup before making last year’s Super League play-offs, and along with teammates Tom Amone, John Asiata and Lachlan Lam, was named in the 2023 Dream Team.
Then the 24-year-old featured as PNG won the Pacific Bowl, beating Fiji in the final in Port Moresby in November (Lachlan Lam also played).
Nicely settled and contracted until 2025, Ipape, who previously played for PNG Hunters in the Queensland Cup, is gearing up for another crack at Super League – and praised former Wigan coach Lam’s influence.
“It was an amazing season and pretty special,” he said.
“Before it started, people were speaking of us maybe getting relegated, but Lammy got us to block all of that out.
“He told us that if we plated as a team, we could get the results, and even after losing a few in the early stages, we knew that was the case, because we had the players and the systems.
“Lammy and his staff got us playing for each other and playing for the club and the fans, and things clicked.
“It’s high intensity, in training as well as matches, and playing for the full 80 minutes, and it worked well for us.”
Ipape added: “Lammy has been great for me personally. He’s a legend in our country, and for him to have the faith to bring me over was huge for me.
“He’s given me clarity – not only in how I play but in life in general. As well as being a good coach, he’s a good man, and hopefully his influence has helped me become a better man.”
