LEIGH LEOPARDS head coach Adrian Lam has revealed that signing a three-year deal with the club was a way to ensure “credibility and strength” to building his squad.
In the past, Lam has wanted to etch just one-year deals in a bid to keep him at the top of his game.
However, midway through the 2024 Super League season, the former Papua New Guinea international signed a new three-year contract with Leigh.
Though Lam explains that the contract is basically still a one-to-one year basis, he insists that such a deal had to be done with the amount of turnover at the Leigh Sports Village for 2025.
“It is still on a one-to-one year basis in reality. I felt with us making so many changes, I needed to be around to see that out,” Lam told League Express.
“We need some stability with recruitment, retention and building this group and the three years gives some credibility and strength.”
Of course, heading into the 2025 Super League season, there is a new disciplinary points system.
The new system will only see players sanctioned when they reach a certain number of points.
Therefore, if a player were to be charged with on-field misconduct, they would not instantly receive a sanction as is currently the case.
Charge grades are now allocated points which players will accumulate and keep on their record for 12 months, though the RFL has recently revealed that some aspects of the system will be debated.
That being said, Lam sees the new move as positive after hoping to avoid the “absolutely outrageous” start to last season’s Super League with the head contact directive.
“We are supportive of the new directive, it’s better than what it was last year. The way we started last year with the head contact was absolutely outrageous,” Lam told League Express.
“We warned them not do it and they carried on to do it. We did get it right towards the back end of the season when it settled down well. Everyone was then on the same page.”
