LEIGH LEOPARDS have brought fan favourite Kai O’Donnell back to the club.
The 27-year-old says he jumped at the chance to return to the Leopards, for whom he scored 31 tries in 77 appearances between 2022 and 2024, after two seasons with North Queensland Cowboys.
“It’s such a great moment for me to be coming back to Leigh Leopards,” enthused O’Donnell, who was a key part of the squad that lifted the Challenge Cup in 2023 and reached the Super League play-offs in 2023 and 2024.
“I made no secret of the fact that it was a really difficult decision to leave. I love the club, the fans and the town.
“When the opportunity came to rejoin, I jumped at the chance and I can’t wait to get back home.
“Lammy (Adrian Lam) is a coach I have the utmost respect and admiration for. He’s really developed me as a player, and I think my time in the past under him has brought out my best football.
“I’m looking forward to coming back, reaching another level under him and helping the team do the same.
“I always kept an eye out for Leigh while I was in Australia, and it’s been amazing to see them grow and grow.
“Last time I joined Leigh, they were a Championship club. This time, they’re Super League play-off regulars, and hopefully we can turn that into silverware at the end of the season.
“I’m coming back determined to give you all something back for your support.”
Head coach Lam couldn’t hide his delight at O’Donnell returning, adding: “I’ve got goosebumps. I know that, in his time here, he certainly touched the whole town, all of our fans and all of the squad.
“For me personally, he brought a lot of professionalism to the group. I’m very, very excited. He’s the type of player that can single-handedly lift the club and the team.
“I was broken-hearted when he left. We’re always broken-hearted when a player leaves the team, but Kai was just a different level because of his professionalism around the place.
“He’s one of those players who trains when he’s injured, plays when he’s injured and doesn’t want to miss a training session. That’s now a standard we’ve set here as a club.
“As a player, he’s just the ultimate professional. He runs lines, scores tries, and everything he gives is at 100 percent. He’s a hungry player who competes at every level.
“His presence back in that Leopards jersey for 2027 certainly excites everyone around the town.”
