ADRIAN LAM believes Josh Charnley is currently playing some of his best rugby with Leigh Leopards.
The prolific winger has just turned 35 but shows no sign of slowing down, pulling clear as Super League’s highest-ever try-scorer.
Following last month’s win in Toulouse, Charnley expressed that he would like to play on next season, to the surprise of his head coach, who admitted conversations between the player and the club would take place over the coming weeks.
“He thinks he’s forever young,” Lam explained.
“He’s playing some great rugby at the moment, and there needs to be a conversation had about it.
“If that works out, no doubt we’ll get to the bottom of it, either way, whatever is in the best interests of the club.
“We’re grateful to have a player of his calibre within the squad, scoring four tries (against Toulouse), it could have been six when we watched it back on review, there were two tries there that he could have scored as well.
“He’s playing some of his best rugby, and when you’re scoring three or four tries a game, you’ve got to take things into consideration. It’s something that we’ll get onto in the next couple of weeks.”
With Lam admitting he was unsure whether Charnley would play on this season, he believes the club is in good hands for the future, with young wingers AJ Towse and Keenan Brand coming through the ranks.
“I didn’t (know that Charnley wanted to play on in 2027),” he said.
“2026 was a year that he was potentially not going to be here as well.
“I’ve got some young guns coming through that I feel are suitable Super League players, but like I say, when the ball is in Josh’s hands, the chances of him finishing that are in the nineties, which is probably better than anyone else who has ever pulled a Super League jersey on, so we’ve got to take that into consideration.
“If it works out in that way, we’ll see, but it’s a decision that we’ll get to eventually.”