IF there is one player that is enjoying his time in the UK then it is Leigh Leopards star Lachlan Lam.
Signed midway through the 2022 Championship season, Lachlan came to these shores to reunite with his father, Adrian, at the Leigh Sports Village.
Lam senior was of course in the process of earning promotion with the then-named Centurions, bringing in son Lachlan to help get the club over the line.
Of course, Lachlan proved key to this achievement and has since taken to Super League like a duck to water, confessing he is “loving” life at Leigh at present.
“I’m loving it, I came over here to enjoy myself, have a reset and try and enjoy my footy again,” Lam said. “And, week by week I’m doing that and it’s a credit to what we are building here at Leigh.
“My dad is doing a great job and Derek (owner Derek Beaumont) is looking after us. They are all really good people here, everyone gets on so well and we hang out outside of footy.
“We do lots of things that make it easy to get on on the field. I think all that coming together is making me enjoy my experience here.”
Lam has now explained why having his father, Adrian, as head coach put Leigh on the map for Lachlan.
“He (Adrian) was the only reason why I came to Leigh as Leigh weren’t really in my visions at all until he went there.
“I’ve said before, but it was bit of a running joke during 2022 about me coming over. Then it came to a point where they were going really good at the time and had a big chance to win the comp so I made that decision.”
In terms of resetting in England, the likes of Jackson Hastings and Brodie Croft have also gone down that path but Lam believes it depends on the kind of environment that awaits you in the different competition.
“It doesn’t work out for everyone, people come over here and don’t get it right – it’s not an easy comp.
“It’s not that, it’s about enjoying yourself and being a little free. It’s just as physical and tough as the NRL so there’s not much difference. It’s about the people around you and the environment you are in.
“You could be lucky in that environment in the NRL and I was but coming here has been really good for me.”
