Why son of footy great is set to be flooded with contract offers as halfback eyes off a return to the NRL
- Lachlan Lam is intent on returning to the NRL
- Several football teams have already shown interest
- Lam is the son of Queensland legend Adrian Lam
Talented playmaker Lachlan Lam has already attracted interest from several NRL clubs after revealing his intention to return to Australia to play football.
The 26-year-old son of Queensland legend Adrian Lam has spent the last few years plying his trade at Leigh Leopards in Great Britain under his father, who is the head coach.
The PNG international, who played for the Roosters early in his career, has turned down offers to play in Australia over the years but is now ready to return.
Talented halfbacks are a hot topic in the NRL at the moment and Lam’s manager Sam Ayoub has already been in contact with several clubs over the issue.
Halfback Lachlan Lam has already attracted interest from several NRL clubs after revealing his intention to return to the NRL
Lam has played for Leigh Leopards in Great Britain in recent years under his father Adrian Lam (pictured), who is head coach
The Roosters could be an option with Luke Keary set to retire, but rival clubs such as the Titans and Bulldogs may also be interested.
Lam has had great success with the Leigh Leopards and was last year named the 2023 Player of the Year by the Rugby League Writers and Broadcasters Association.
It is not the first time the talented number 7 has been coached by his father, with Lam having played under Adrien at famed Sydney junior club Clovelly Crocodiles since the age of six.
“When I came back to Australia, I was coached by him all the time, until I was 17,” Lam told the Ny Breaking in 2023.
“Even when I went to the Roosters junior system he still had a lot to do with me, coming to watch and talk to me about my game.
“So coming here, it’s good to get that going again. I know how he coaches and I like the way he coaches and how he takes care of me. It’s not strange to me at all.’
And that includes the stick he got from teammates because he was the coach’s son, which is why he never called him “Dad” in the locker room.
“It seems a bit strange when the boys hear that and you don’t want to give them any ammunition, mate, because they’re ruthless,” Lam said.
The talented number 7 will have no trouble finding an NRL club when he returns to Australia
Lam has enjoyed great success in Britain with Leigh and was last year named the 2023 Player of the Year by the Rugby League Writers and Broadcasters Association
‘I try my best to get his attention so I don’t have to call him anything, otherwise they make funny jokes.
‘I get an incredible amount of stick. When we’re doing drills in training and a call comes to my team, I get all kinds of s***. These guys are ruthless with it, but it’s funny, I enjoy it.”
Lam has also managed to never fall out with his father, for whom he has the ultimate respect as a coach.
“Anything he really needs to tell me that’s difficult, he’ll tell me in private,” the Sydney-born star explained.
‘He is a very smart and technical coach, but his best quality is that he makes the boys play for each other. He understands the importance of friendship and he loves that we do things together and build team bonding.”
As for father-son bonding, that also happens outside the footy environment.
“We spend most of our time together on the golf course,” Lam says. “And I’m definitely better than him – if he told you anything else, it’s a lie!
‘We don’t talk about competition on the track. I only play golf to escape the competition. It’s important to separate the two and just enjoy it.”