Leigh Leopards suffer Tom Amone injury blow as coach provides Lachlan Lam latest

Leigh Leopards will be without Super League Dream Team prop Tom Amone for at least eight weeks, coach Adrian Lam has confirmed.

The 28-year-old prop was absent from the Leigh squad that picked up their first win of the campaign last weekend – a 54-4 demolition of Hull FC – due to a foot injury.

And following further assessment, Lam has revealed that Amone has been sidelined for at least two months with a broken foot.

“We got the results back after the game on Monday, and it looks like Tom has broken a bone in the top of his foot so Tom is going to be out for eight weeks plus,” Lam told Love Rugby League ahead of Saturday’s Challenge Cup sixth round tie against Featherstone Rovers.

“It’s not good news, another one on the list there, he’s pretty devastated about it because it’s in a position where it is difficult to address.

“We’ve got to power on and get on with things, Dan Norman stepped up last week and did a really good job in the front-row, Oliver Holmes came onto the bench and did an incredible job, he made the Super League Team of the Week. Ben McNamara stood in for Lokie Lam and did a great job as well so I’m going to be relying on those players again to stand up and do a good job at home where we haven’t had a victory yet this year, so that’s what we’re searching for.”

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Leigh Leopards coach Adrian Lam provides injury latest on star man Lachlan Lam

Papua New Guinea international Lachlan Lam, also a member of last year’s Super League Dream Team, watched Leigh’s win at Hull from the sidelines last Saturday after a laceration in his leg required him to have 15 stitches.

Leopards coach Adrian Lam says his son is in contention to return in Saturday’s Challenge Cup tie against Featherstone at the Leigh Sports Village.

“Lokie Lam should be available for the game, we’ll give him the most of this week (to be right),” Lam added.

“He ran today which is a positive sign for us so whether or not the doctor feels that it’s risky on Saturday.. If it is then we won’t risk it, but if it’s more than 70 or 80 per cent I think he’ll play but that’s where we are at, at the moment.

“I thought the players, the squad of 21 that went up to Hull did a great job for us. I know the challenge will be to match that again so our focus has got to be about us this week and not so much Featherstone.

“It’s good to get back to winning ways in Super League but the Challenge Cup is a different competition, it’s going to be a really tough ding-dong battle as it’s always been between Featherstone and us so we’re looking forward to it.”

Lam added that trio Robbie Mulhern, Ricky Leutele and Gareth O’Brien will face late fitness checks prior to the Featherstone game.

“Mulhern has got some soft tissue stuff, Ricky Leutele and Gaz O’Brien have got some lower soft tissue stuff so we’ve just got to make sure they get through this training week,” Lam said.

“We’ve been making sure that we cover all areas with players and reps with other players who are potentially coming in. I think most of those boys will be alright, Gaz O’Brien is probably the one that’s in the most doubt but he’s a big chance of playing as well so we’ve just got to manage this week right and make sure we get to gameday with the full squad.”

Leigh begin their defence of the Challenge Cup against Championship heavyweights Featherstone at the Leigh Sports Village on Saturday, 2pm kick-off, with the game being broadcast live on The Sportsman.

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