Challenge Cup: Adrian and Lachlan Lam hope to inspire Leigh Leopards to Wembley glory
- Published
'Half a century of waiting' - Leigh win classic to reach Challenge Cup final
Betfred Men's Challenge Cup final: Hull KR v Leigh Leopards |
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Venue: Wembley Stadium, London Date: Saturday, 12 August Kick-off: 15:00 BST |
Coverage: Live on BBC One, radio commentary on 5 Sports Extra and BBC local radio, plus live text on BBC Sport website & app |
Leigh hasn't seen anything like it for two generations. Their rugby league club is writing one of the great sporting stories of the year
This small Lancashire town has got 'Wember-Leigh' fever.
On Saturday afternoon around half the town's population will be cheering on their team at the national stadium for the first time in more than 50 years.
Their Challenge Cup final date with Hull Kingston Rovers will be a remarkable day in what is becoming a remarkable year.
For their coach Adrian Lam - born 12,000 miles away in Papua New Guinea - it's a day that will be filled with pride and emotion. Not least because his son Lachlan could also be one of the stars of day in a unique father-son combination.
"It's an incredible journey we've had this year," says Lam, speaking on this week's BBC 5 Live Rugby League podcast.
"It's been an incredible journey for the whole group. I get goose-bumps thinking about it."
Leigh have been up and down the league ladder in recent years; they were the classic yo-yo team, striving for promotion and then battling unsuccessfully against relegation.
But last year, owner Derek Beaumont began plotting a different course for the club. Planning and recruiting for life back in the Super League began months before Leigh had even won promotion.
And when they were elevated back into the big time, following a Million Pound Game win over Batley, they were ready. Their squad for the top-flight was already assembled.
In another statement of intent, ahead of this season, the owner rebranded the club as the Leigh Leopards, creating quite a stir within the game. Beaumont was determined that his club would be noticed, both on and off the field.
With it, the wins started coming.
They have defied the laws of rugby league gravity, which determines that promoted clubs go straight back down. With only six weeks of the regular season to go, they are joint second in the table with a realistic chance of the Grand Final.
Within their ascent they have racked up 14 wins, only two fewer than leaders Catalans, with a style leaning heavily on flair and panache.
In the semi-final to reach Wembley they put rugby league royalty to the sword, beating four times back-to-back Super League champions St Helens in a classic, dramatic tie.
This will be Leigh's first Challenge Cup final since 1971 and only their second ever visit to the famous stadium.
Could coach Lam have dreamed how good this season would be?
"At the start of the year, as much as you want to think that it could be a possibility, the reality is it's not because it's never been done before," he says.
"But the team has broken lots of different records through the year. Even beating Leeds last weekend ended a forty year drought of not winning at Leeds.
"They just keep telling me about the records and you're thinking 'wow', we've never had such as good a run as this in our history. Now we've got a golden chance to capitalise on this opportunity."
Get the balance right, on the field
Lachlan Lam (left) and Zak Hardaker have been two major signings for Leigh in the past two seasons
Former Sydney Roosters and Queensland half-back Lam was appointed by Leigh ahead of last season, having just finished a three-year spell in charge of former club Wigan, which included guiding the Warriors to a Grand Final in 2020.
He says the secret of this year's success with the Leopards is down to recruitment.
While some players like Blake Ferguson and Nene McDonald had to depart after last season's success because of quota spots, key components from 2022 such as John Asiata, Edwin Ipape, Josh Charnley and Kai O'Donnell have remained.
Experienced additions for this season in Zak Hardaker and Tom Briscoe have been given new leases of life in leopard-print, further adding to the mix as the Leythers climbed the table.
"We've got that right," Lam told the podcast. "Not just in getting the player and the talent, but the [right] person. You have a plan and structures and a game plan and you bring the players in to deliver that game plan and you step aside. That's my philosophy about it all."
"I think I've got a good leadership group there, everybody is working hard and they're loving coming into work each week.
"I'm really proud of where we are, we've worked hard to be where we are and we're 80 minutes away from delivering something really special."
Where it started for the Lams
Lam's love affair with the Challenge Cup began back home in Papua New Guinea and then Queensland, Australia, where he moved with his family.
He would stay up into the early hours each year to watch every cup final.
Some years later, he won the Challenge Cup as a player with Wigan in 2002; and now he's thrilled to see the response from Leigh fans at the prospect of seeing their side playing in this year's showpiece occasion.
"It's amazing when you drive through the town, because I live in Wigan and I drive to Leigh," Lam continued. "All the houses you drive past have got things up at the windows, and you can see it as soon as you cross that
"I'm just glad for them they get the chance to experience something like this in their lifetime. The last time Leigh were in the final was 1971 and a lot of the supporters today weren't alive.
"Tthe one before that was 1921, so they're 50 years apart. There hasn't been much to cheer for in the Challenge Cup. I'm just grateful that they have got the honour to be there and be excited about being there.
"The crowds are getting bigger every week, there's a buzz around the town. Even when we're training there are people around."
Another extraordinary twist to Leigh's tale is the fact that Lachlan Lam has been pivotal to the side's success.
The former Sydney Roosters half joined his dad at Leigh last year, and has been picking up a string of plaudits for his contributions.
In a special moment for the family, dad and son will walk out at Wembley together.
"I'm really grateful he's here, sharing this moment with us," says Lam senior. "You don't get too many of these moments in life and I'm getting emotional about it.
"He was there watching in the 2002 Challenge Cup Final that we [Wigan] won at Murrayfield. He was three or four. I'm not sure he remembers that.
"But to think that 20 years later he's playing in his own and it's me coaching, it's hard to fathom, it's hard to believe.
"There are so many of those 'pinch-me' moments in the season and it just keeps on going. So lets hope it doesn't stop anytime soon."
Adrian Lam was part of the 2002 Wigan side along with Andy Farrell, Terry O'Connor and the late Terry Newton