By KEITH McGHIE
Adrian Lam labelled Leigh Centurions’ maiden 1895 Cup win a thank you to club owner Derek Beaumont.
Now he aims to follow it up the 30-16 victory over Featherstone by sealing an immediate return to Super League following last season’s relegation.
The Championship’s top two – after twelve rounds, Featherstone lead the way by a point – went head-to-head at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium ahead of Saturday’s Challenge Cup final.
Defeating the holders brought Leigh revenge for their 28-6 league defeat at Rovers’ Millennium Stadium back in February.
The pair meet at Leigh on Monday, June 13, then at the Summer Bash at Headingley on Saturday, July 30, with a potential Million Pound Game meeting on the weekend of October 1/2.
Beaumont sponsors the 1895 Cup with his business AB Sundecks, and former Wigan coach Lam explained: “Derek said ‘you are a legend and you’re making a massive difference at this club’.
“That was special to me. He’s an extrovert, isn’t he? He’s certainly passionate. I think that’s the key word to use.
“Rugby League at times is doing it tough in the North-West of the UK. But when we’ve got people like him supporting clubs like Leigh, the game will always be alive.
“I’m sure the club, the fans and the players want to thank him for everything he’s done.
“I think he was more excited about the win than the players. It is his competition as a sponsor. I think that result was really special for him.”
Former PNG Hunters player Edwin Ipape was among the Leigh try-scorers, and Lam said: “It was a really special day for Papua New Guinea, having (Nene) MacDonald there, Edwin and myself.
“Edwin comes from a remote town. I’ve always followed him closely and always wanted to get him over to the UK and there was an opportunity at the start of the year, but just the communication, getting through to where he was, was the hard part.
“When I got hold of him and said I want you to come over and be part of my club, he came.
Lam continued: “I’m very, very proud for the club and for the fans who have come out to support the town. This is a reward for where we are at in the season.
“We did some uncharacteristic things during the first 40 minutes, which is what happens in big games, and we got caught up emotionally.
“We spoke about that during the week but that’s what half-time is for and we have always responded this year by getting in there and settling them down.
“We weren’t giving ourselves a chance with the errors and some silly indiscipline – all emotionally driven.
“I said if we cut that out stick to how we’ve been during the last three months that would be enough and we hung in and finished the game really strongly.”
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