Leigh Leopards star being pursued by NRL clubs and is ‘open’ to Australian return

Aaron Bower
Edwin Ipape

Edwin Ipape is being courted by NRL clubs.

Leigh Leopards hooker Edwin Ipape is being courted by multiple clubs from Australia about a potential NRL move in 2026.

That’s according to a fresh report from Down Under, which has suggested that the Papua New Guinea star is not only attracting interest, but is also reportedly open to a switch to Australia if the right move materialises.

The Wide World of Sports have suggested that Ipape – who is described as the standout hooker in Super League in the report – is attracting potential offers from NRL clubs who are looking to Super League as part of their 2026 recruitment plans.

Ipape is heading into his fourth season with the Leopards, having played a hugely influential role in their rise from the Championship to the upper echelons of Super League.

The 25-year-old joined Leigh from the PNG Hunters at the start of the 2022 season and helped them secure promotion from Super League out of the Championship.

He has gone on to become one of Super League’s best players in the process, and arguably Leigh’s most important player across his time with the Leopards.

The club are determined to hang on to Ipape and are prepared to offer him a significant new deal to fend off any interest from the NRL.

But if an offer from Down Under proves too good to resist for Ipape, Leigh may have to plan for life without the hooker in 2026 and beyond.

Leigh have a number of key players off-contract later this year, with Lachlan Lam telling Love Rugby League earlier this month he too would not rule out a return to the NRL in 2026.

But they are still in the market for new signings of their own ahead of the new season, with interest in Salford’s Marc Sneyd well-noted and dependent on whether or not the Red Devils complete a takeover in time for the new season.

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