LEIGH LEOPARDS head coach Adrian Lam believes Joe Ofahengaue is the best in Super League in his position.
The 30-year-old joined the Leopards midway through the 2025 campaign, registering 18 appearances, but the prop has gone on to become a formidable forward for the Leopards in 2026 following the injury absence of Owen Trout, Aaron Pene and Robbie Mulhern at various stages this year.
“We’ve got some players playing big minutes, like Joe Ofahengaue, who’s possibly the best front-rower in the comp at the moment,” said Lam.
“There’s nothing better than a player like that who then carries the ball (a lot). I think he did over 200 metres as a frontrower last week (in the victory at Castleford Tigers), which is big, considering the number of minutes and times he’s played.
“He’s resilient as well. He plays 50 minutes straight in most games. He’s been very good for us.”
Ofahengaue is held in equally high esteem by his team-mates, with Lam adding: “He holds them accountable.
“He’s one of those characters that is such a big personality in our team. He’s a great leader.
“They love him, but they also look up to him, especially a lot of our young middles.
“We’ve been short in the middle without Robbie Mulhern for the majority of the season and we’ve missed Owen Trout the last couple of weeks (for personal reasons).
“We’ve been short throughout the whole team, but just him being around and making sure that we stick together as a group has been invaluable for us, especially me as coach. He certainly helps my process, and I appreciate that.”