Leigh Leopards player ratings: Match winner Lachlan Lam gets top points after scooping Lance Todd Trophy
Lachlan Lam celebrates scoring the match-winning drop goal in the 2023 Challenge Cup final
Lachlan Lam scooped the Lance Todd Trophy after his match-winning drop goal in their 17-16 win golden point win over Hull KR in the Challenge Cup final.
The Papua New Guinea superstar slotted a drop goal in golden point extra-time to seal a pulsating 17-16 win for the Leopards at Wembley.
Here are our player ratings from a Leigh perspective…
Leigh Leopards player ratings
Gareth O’Brien – 8. The full-back came up with an uncharacteristic error in the first half but his link up play is excellent. He is the glue to everything the Leopards do with the ball in hand.
Tom Briscoe – 7. A solid performance from the winger, who got on the scoresheet in the second half. He’s lost a yard of pace over the years but is still as consistent and reliable as ever.
Zak Hardaker – 7. The former Man of Steel produced another safe display in the centre role. He’s been excellent for Leigh this year.
Ed Chamberlain – 8. The Ireland international came up with a number of important carries when his side needed it most. It was probably one of his best games in a Leigh shirt.
Josh Charnley – 8. Charnley, currently second in Super League’s try scoring charts, seems to impress in every game he plays at the moment.
Ben Reynolds – 8. His kicking game proved valuable to the Leopards – both on the field and in-game.
Lachlan Lam – 9. Match winner, box office, superstar. He got my vote for the Lance Todd Trophy after a stellar display, with his drop goal being the cherry on the cake.
Tom Amone – 8. Amone has been one of the in-form front-rowers in Super League all season and it was the same again from him at Wembley. Runs hard, tackles hard, never stops working.
Edwin Ipape – 7. It wasn’t the biggest and best display from the Papua New Guinea international, but it was solid and he did a job. He tackled hard and came up with a couple of big carries.
Robbie Mulhern – 8. The Ireland international has got a fearsome front-row partnership alongside Amone. Mulhern had a powerful carry that led to Leigh’s first try.
Kai O’Donnell – 8. The Australian ran a couple of good lines which led to breaks and he played a key role in Lam’s try in the first half.
Jack Hughes – 7. Nothing flashy, but he never stopped working all game and just had that never say die attitude.
John Asiata – 8. Lam is the only player to get a 9, with Asiata running him very, very close. The NRL Grand Final played 62 minutes without a breather.
Bench
Ben Nakubuwai – 7. The Fijian powerhouse didn’t play massive minutes, but he had a couple of big carries when he was on the field.
Matt Davis – 8. He made a big impact when coming off the bench and it was a tireless display from the hard-working forward.
Oliver Holmes – 7. He seemed to add some leg speed and drive to the Leopards when he entered the action. He came on at a time when Leigh needed that grunt in the pack.
Joe Mellor – 7. Like some of the others, not the standout display of the year we’ll see from Mellor, but the half-back looks very much settled in the hooking role now. The accuracy of his passes are second to none.
