Leigh Leopards hero Lachlan Lam revealed he entered unknown territory when he let fly with the drop-goal that sealed his side’s historic Betfred Challenge Cup final win over Hull KR at Wembley.
Lam was set up by team-mate Gareth O’Brien, who minutes earlier had missed his own glaring opportunity to clinch the winner in golden point extra time, and duly converted for the first time in his career.
“It was my first pro field goal, and it felt like I had a lot of time when I kicked it,” said Lam, one of the stand-outs of the season who added the prestigious Lance Todd Trophy for his man of the match display in Leigh’s 17-16 win.
“We’ve done a lot of work on it in the last few months because you know you’re going to be in that position at some stage,” added Lam. “Gaz missed the first one and had the trust to throw it back to me to take that kick.
“I dropped it a little bit on the angle but halfway towards the posts I knew it was going over. It happened really quickly. I went to celebrate and all of a sudden I was on my back.”
Leigh’s win, which continued an astonishing first season back among the top flight, was fashioned in the most dramatic of circumstances after Matt Parcell helped haul Rovers level with 80 seconds left of normal time.
After O’Brien missed the first chance to win it, the usually dependable Brad Schneider came up short for Hull KR with a rash long-ranger and gave Lam, the son of Leopards head coach Adrian, the chance to seal a fairytale title.
The pride was etched on the face of father Adrian, the architect of Leigh’s amazing campaign, who said: “It’s just incredible to talk about how this has happened.
“This time last year we were coming in to prepare for the (1895 Cup) final. How that’s gone around in the last 12 months, it’s an incredible story for rugby league for us even to be here.
“I don’t just want to make it about Lachlan but it was a special moment. I’ve thought this week how lucky I am having him playing here for my team and doing well.
“It was just a really weird moment when he went to take the field goal, the ball was thrown back to him and I thought, he’s going to win us the game here.
“I’ve coached him since he was six so what went through my mind was knowing how many times we’d been in the opposite position and been left heartbroken, so that was a bit of serendipity.”
Rovers boss Willie Peters hoped his side had the momentum following their late fightback but admitted a botched extra period cost them dear.
Instead of the ice-cool way in which they sank Wigan in similar circumstances in the semi-final, Rovers coughed up an early error then Schneider’s snatched effort failed to find touch.
“I thought our luck had changed and we had got the momentum,” said Peters. “But we’ve got to learn our lessons and Leigh showed us how to play in golden point, we took six carries and went for a long-distance field goal.
“We didn’t handle golden point very well but I’m very proud of the players. We just hung in there and it proves the fight and character of this team to keep going to the end there and lock it up.
“We had our chances so it’s really hard to take. We will have a good little break now but we have always come back and responded, and on Friday when we go to St Helens, if we want to be flat and complacent we’re in for a long night.”
Women Reggae Warriors squad named for America’s Women’s World Series Qualifiers in Jacksonville
Jamaica has named a 19-woman squad for the upcoming America’s Women’s World Series Qualifiers set for November 6-9 in Jacksonville.
The Women Reggae Warriors, currently ranked 22nd in the world, will take on the USA in the semi-finals on November 6 at the University of North Florida before the winner takes on world number seven Canada in the final on November 9.
Brazil were originally supposed to be a part of the tournament but withdrew in June due to funding and logistical issues.
The winner of the final will advance to the 2025 World Series for a chance to advance to the 2026 Women’s Rugby League World Cup in Australia and Papua New Guinea.
Women Reggae Warriors squad: Alicia Richards, Aniya Smith, Chevelle Clarke, Darcey Price, Debisha Scarlett, Dejonaye Cole, Elyse Royal, Gianna Noble-Cunningham, Kamoya Forrest, Kaya-Jo Laing, Mackayla McCalla, Makeda Lewis, Moesha Bogle, Shanice Stewart, Shanique Smith, Sherine Johnson, Shoya Gordon, Tarja Richards, Veronica Blair.
Reggae Warriors fall to Wales in rain-soaked Rugby League international
Jamaica's Reggae Warriors suffered a narrow 22-16 defeat to Wales in a rain-drenched international rugby league encounter on Tuesday at The Gnoll in Neath. Despite leading 10-0 early in the match, Jamaica couldn’t hold off a determined Welsh side that rallied in the second half to secure the victory in front of 1,300 fans.
Jamaica, fielding a new-look squad with eight debutants, got off to a dream start. Ben Jones-Bishop opened the scoring in the fifth minute, slipping through the Welsh defense after a missed tackle. Just minutes later, Alex Young, brother of England international Dom Young, pounced on a loose ball following Kieran Rush’s precise kick to double the lead for the Reggae Warriors.
With a 10-0 advantage, Jamaica appeared to be in control, but Wales adapted to the worsening conditions. Rhys Williams, Wales' record-cap holder, sparked the Welsh comeback just before halftime, scoring a crucial try after running onto a kick from captain Elliot Kear.
The second half saw Wales take advantage of the wet conditions and gain momentum. Debutants Huw Worthington and Max Clarke both crossed the try line, giving Wales the lead for the first time in the match. A strong performance from Gil Dudson, named man of the match, and a try from Matty Fozard stretched the Welsh lead, sealing the comeback victory.
Jamaica struggled to find their rhythm in the second half, especially after losing playmaker Kieran Rush to injury early in the period. Despite a late try from Joshua Hudson-Lett, Jamaica couldn’t close the gap, leaving the final score at 22-16 in favor of Wales.
For Jamaica, the match provided valuable experience for a squad featuring many new players, including the only non-UK-based player, Alex Young of the Sydney Roosters. Despite the loss, the Reggae Warriors showed promise and will look to build on their performance in future fixtures.
Match Summary
Wales (4) 22
Tries: Williams, Worthington, Clarke, Dudson, Fozard
Conversions: Fozard
Jamaica (10) 16
Tries: Jones-Bishop, Young, Hudson-Lett
Conversions: Carter
Penalty: Rush
The defeat marks another step in Jamaica’s journey to establish themselves on the international rugby league stage as they continue to gain experience against quality opposition.
Reggae Warriors name 20-man squad to face Wales on October 15
Jamaica has called up a 20-man squad to prepare for their international clash with world number 17 Wales, at the The Lextan Gnoll in Neath, on Tuesday, October 15 (kick-off 7.30pm).
Most players called up play in English competitions, the lone exception, Alex Young, is currently signed to the Sydney Roosters in Australia. Included are veterans such as Ben Jones-Bishop, James Woodburn Hall, Mo Agoro, Jordan Andrade, Keenen Tomlinson, and Ross Peltier. However, there are also plenty new faces with possible debutants coming from Darius Carter, Delaine Gittens-Bedwards, Jaden Dayes, Leo Skerritt-Evans, Aaron Smalls, Keenan Ramsden and Joshua Hudson-Lett.
Injury has forced the withdrawal of inspirational captain Ashton Golding (Huddersfield), Jerome Yates (West Warriors) and Greg Johnson (Moldgreen), whilst Michael Lawrence (Bradford) and AJ Wallace (Huddersfield) are unavailable due to club duties. Resulting, former captains Joe Brown and Jy-Mel Coleman, both instrumental in Jamaica’s qualification to the 2021 World Cup, have made themselves available if required, with Coleman doubling as an assistant coach.
Jamaica will be coached by Rhys Lovegrove, who is Academy Head Coach at Super League club Hull KR. He commented, “I’m really honoured and privileged to be part of the coaching set and excited to see some new faces pull on the jersey to face Wales”.
Director of Rugby and Head of Jamaica’s men’s programme Romeo Monteith added, “As an organisation we are happy to face Wales at their home. They are a good team with a proud history in rugby league. Jamaica remains committed to playing at least one international in Europe annually and we hope to collaborate more often with Wales in the future. The game helps them prepare for their European World Cup qualifiers, and it helps us in our preparation for the World Series in 2025 as it’s vital our professional players get a chance to play together as often as possible.”
The Reggae Warriors played their last men’s international against the USA on December 3, 2024, going down 26-30. After Wales, Jamaica faces Canada in Toronto on October 19.
JAMAICA SQUAD:
Delaine Gittens-Bedward (Barrow Raiders), Joshua Hudson-Lett (Bedford Tigers), Leo Skerrett-Evans (Castleford Tigers), Aaron Small (Cornwall), Keenen Tomlinson (Featherstone Rovers), James Woodburn-Hall (Halifax), Darius Carter, Kieran Rush (Huddersfield Giants), Chris Ball (London Broncos), Alex Brown (Moldgreen ARLFC), Mo Agoro (Oldham), Jaden Dayes, Jordan Andrade (Rochdale), Ben Jones-Bishop (Sheffield), Keenan Ramsden (Siddal), Alex Young (Sydney Roosters), Isaac Coleman (York Acorn), Joe Brown, Jy-Mel Coleman, Ross Peltier (Unattached)
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