Kai O’Donnell pays glowing tribute to Leigh Leopards after making NRL return

Kai O’Donnell believes he is returning to the NRL as a better player thanks to his time with Leigh Leopards as he paid a glowing tribute to his former coach Adrian Lam.

O’Donnell has been with Leigh for the last three seasons, during which time he has become of the standout back-rowers in Super League.

The 25-year-old scored 31 tries in 77 appearances with the Leopards, helping Adrian Lam‘s side lift the Challenge Cup at Wembley in 2023.

And O’Donnell’s impressive displays earned him a shot back in the NRL, having joined his boyhood club North Queensland Cowboys on a two-year contract from 2025.

The Australian forward believes he is returning Down Under as a more complete player whilst paying tribute to the Leopards: and Lam in particular.

“I feel like I needed to mature as a player, I needed to step away as a player and just focus on the fundamentals of the game and enjoy it again – I feel like I’ve done that (at Leigh),” O’Donnell told the Cowboys’ official club website.

“I’ve had some good coaching over there with Adrian Lam and Tony Clubb. Adrian has played a fair chunk of NRL over here and Origin, so to get some knowledge from him has been a blessing in disguise because I feel like I translate and understand the game a lot better since coming back.

“I feel like I got out of my shell a lot more when I went over there and just started backing my ability and I think that’s just down to stepping away, and having to go and experience that (in England) and be in the deep end a bit.”

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O’Donnell spent time in the youth ranks at North Queensland before making his NRL debut for Canberra in 2020, playing four first-grade games for the Raiders before heading to Leigh ahead of the 2022 campaign.

And with O’Donnell looking to add to his four NRL appearances in 2025, he is made up to return to his boyhood club North Queensland.

“I’m very proud,” O’Donnell said of his move to the Cowboys. “This club means a lot to me.

“I was signed here as a junior and to get the opportunity to come back was a no-brainer for me and my family, so I’m very proud and happy to be back here.”

O’Donnell missed the back end of Leigh’s play-off campaign due to a kidney injury: and he says he is progressing well in the road to recovery.

“In the last round of this season, I got a bit of a whack in the kidney and ended up getting a tear in it,” he added.

“I’m all good to go. I had a scan last week and it came back all clear but I’ve just got to go back and see a specialist and get it all ticked off before I can go back into full contact and full training.”

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