Former Papua New Guinea head coach and assistant coach for Australia during the 2021 Rugby League World Cup, Adrian Lam, has earned the Coach of the Year award in the Super League.
Lam earned the prestigious award through his coaching the Leigh Leopards. Taking over at the Leopards in 2021, he helped guide them to win the 2023 Challenge Cup only two years after being promoted into the top tier of the English Super League.
In a remarkable run, Lam, along with his sonย Lachlan Lam, guided the club to astonishing victories over the likes of theย Wigan Warriors,ย Warrington Wolvesย andย Leeds Rhinos before an amazing golden-point victory in the final against Hull Kingston Rovers that saw the Leopards win the Challenge Cup.
Many pundits and journalists are comparing their Challenge Cup victory to that of Leicester City winning the 2015-16 English Premier League.
โWhat an achievement and what an honour,โ said Lam.
โIt's a personal milestone for me.
โI was pretty emotional when I received the news. I want to thank the fans who have been there on a week-to-week basis enjoying the highs of the season breaking records.
โAnd there was no bigger high than winning the Challenge Cup.โ
Lam's incredible season has seen him tipped to become the most likely future NRL head coach. Admitting that he would love to coach in the NRL one day he insisted he's in no rush to leave the Leigh Leopardsย in theย Super League, where he has become a coaching maestro.
"What he has done with Leigh has the rugby league world talking - he is a future first grade coach here for sure," oneย NRLย club chairman toldย Wide World of Sports earlier this year.
"He has been there, done that as a player and coach and could be a breath of fresh air to a club looking for a new face in the next couple of years."
A successful halfback in his playing days, Lam began his coaching career in the Queensland Cup with the Northern Pride in 2007 before being offered an assistant coaching role underย Brad Fittlerย at theย Sydney Roosters.
He would then work as an assistant underย Wayne Bennettย at the Dragons before becoming the head coach of the club's Under 20s team in 2010 and 2011.
On the international scene, he has also coached theย Papua New Guinea Kumuls and was an assistant coach under Mal Meningaย with the Australian Kangaroos for theย Rugby Leagueย World Cup last year.
