UMYLA HANLEY has signed a new two-year deal with Leigh Leopards, snubbing rival offers in the process.
The deal will see Hanley stay with the club until the end of the 2028 Super League season after emerging as one of the most sought-after centres in the game.
The 24-year-old has registered 27 tries in 59 appearances for the Leopards over the course of three years after joining from Wigan Warriors.
Hanley achieved a Super League Dream Team appearance in 2025 and came close to England selection following a stellar year.
Speaking about signing his new deal, Hanley said: “I’m absolutely buzzing, I absolutely love this club, I’ve really enjoyed my time here and hopefully we can build on last season.”
Leigh chief executive Neil Jukes said: “As you can imagine there was a big demand for Umyla’s signature beyond his current contract that expired at the end of this year. He’s the ultimate competitor and over such a short period of time has become a leader within the group. His rate of development since breaking into the first team has been phenomenal and with age on his side I’m sure there’s lots more to come.
“The process took a while to navigate through, given we’re in a salary cap sport. However, it was evident throughout that both parties’ ideal was to always get to this position which in time is what we’ve achieved.”
Discussing Hanley’s new deal Lam said: “I’ve known Umyla for a very long time, I’ve got so much respect for him as a player and as a person. Seeing him mature on and off the field over that last few years has been one of the highlights of my coaching career, that was there for all to see by how emotional I got when he was announced in the Dream Team last season.
“The scary thing is, I think there’s still a lot to come from him, there are also leadership qualities in him that are starting to shine through and we are grateful that he will play a major part of our future and our success.”