LEIGH LEOPARDS were still down to the bare bones for last weekend’s clash against Toulouse Olympique, but Adrian Lam could see a whole host of names return in the next few weeks.
“Over the next three weeks, I’m sure 80 percent of the squad will be back,” Lam said.
“I’m looking forward to that, but this week it’s literally hang in there for one more game before one or two come back into the mix.
“It’s not ideal that if Owen plays, he will be 50/50 so there would be a risk if he was to play.
“He got some collateral damage and rolled his ankle. There’s a whole heap of fluid on there but that is subsiding quite substantially.”
So who could return in the next few weeks?
“Umyla Hanley, Davey Armstrong and Keanan Brand are two or three weeks away.
“It’s only Bailey Hodgson that is longer than that.”
Lam admits that Armstrong’s return from an ACL injury takes its toll.
“I’ve had three of those and I know exactly the situation he is in and the mentality and mindset he has had over the last nine months,” Lam said.
“It’s probably the worst injury you can get in rugby league in terms of rehabbing and having the longest time off.
“We have worked with him really closely, it’s all about confidence for that injury, but he has certainly done all the hard yards and our medical team have worked really hard to get him to this position.
“It’s about the confidence when he is ready to go. He was a shining light for us when he played in the first part of the season.”
Lam admits that the mental side of such a long-term injury can often overshadow the physical element of it.
“This injury is all about the mental side too. All your weight bears through the point and it’s where you pivot.
“I hope he’s not listening to this but it’s one of those injuries where you’re not sure because it can happen again with everything that happens in the game.
“He should be fine, he’s worked really hard. It’s as good as new and it’s all a matter of timing and confidence.”