IT’S fair to say it’s been a whirlwind few years for Leigh Leopards star Umyla Hanley.
Released by Wigan Warriors at the end of 2022, Hanley almost quit rugby league to work in construction before a call from Leigh boss Adrian Lam convinced the outside back to take a career U-turn.
Although Hanley played just twice for the Leopards in 2023, the 23-year-old excelled in 2024, scoring 14 tries in 29 appearances.
But it’s his performances in 2025 that have caught the eye, with a Super League Dream Team spot rewarding Hanley for his great form.
If it hadn’t have been for Lam, however, such an accolade may never have been achieved.
“I don’t think many people know about that story,” said Hanley.
“I had my work boots on the Saturday to go on site and work with my mate and then I ended up getting a call on the Sunday night asking if I wanted to go down to Leigh.
“I said ‘yeah definitely’. I was very happy I got that call and it’s been unreal ever since.
“I had Adrian at Wigan and he gave me my Super League debut there, so me and Lammy are very familiar with each other and that’s good.
“We’ve got a good relationship and always have. I’m very grateful for what he’s done for me.”
“The first year at Leigh, I didn’t get much game time but I was working hard in the background and now I’ve had my chance.”
Of this season’s form, Hanley said: “It starts with pre-season, you can set yourself up for the season with a really good pre-season.
“I looked at myself in the mirror and I said something had to change with how I conduct myself through the season.
“I feel like I had a good pre-season and that’s played a major factor.”
Though the Leopards finished third on the Super League ladder, they have not been talked about as being potential Grand Final winners in the same breath as Hull KR or Wigan Warriors for example.
But Hanley is bullish about Leigh’s chances: “People wrote us off from the start of the season – people didn’t think we would be in the top six.
“We’ve finished in a good position and we still feel like we could have finished higher.
“If we play the way we want to play then we will be hard to stop.”