Leigh will face Bradford for only the third time in Super League on Sunday afternoon, in a meeting that also marks the first time the Bulls have played under the Leopards name. Their most recent clash came at Odsal on July 3, 2022, when Leigh produced a dominant 56-6 win as part of a treble-winning Championship campaign that secured promotion to Super League. That side, coached by Adrian Lam, went on to win the 1895 Cup, the League Leaders’ Shield and the Grand Final.
Several players from that Leigh team have since moved on, with only Edwin Ipape still at the club today. The Papua New Guinea hooker remains a key figure at Leigh and has signed a long-term deal through to the end of 2031. He scored in the Odsal victory and has since become one of the most important players in the squad.
Among the former Leigh players now linked with Bradford are Caleb Aekins, who joined the Bulls after spells with Featherstone Rovers; and Ed Chamberlain, who is currently on loan at Odsal from Hull FC. Joe Mellor also returned to Bradford via coach Kurt Haggerty, while other names from that 2022 side have taken different paths across Super League, the Championship, Australia and coaching roles.
Blake Ferguson left Leigh after a short but highly productive spell and continues to play in Australian local leagues. Nene Macdonald is now with St Helens after later spells in the British game. Krisnan Inu retired after the 2022 season and has since moved into coaching. Ben Reynolds, Adam Sidlow, Aaron Smith, Tom Amone, Joe Wardle, Sam Stone, John Asiata, James McDonnell, Kai O’Donnell and Ben Nakubuwai have all changed clubs, retired, or moved between Super League, the NRL and lower divisions since that Odsal win.
Lam’s influence at Leigh has remained strong since that promotion season. He has guided the club through multiple play-off finishes and a Challenge Cup triumph in 2023, while his contract runs until 2027. The 2022 Bradford side featured players such as Elliot Kear, David Foggin-Johnston, Aaron Murphy, Kieran Gill, Dec Patton and Jordan Lilley, with Mark Dunning in charge.
The upcoming match will therefore be more than just another league fixture. It reconnects Leigh with a landmark result from the beginning of their modern rise, while also highlighting how many of the players involved have since moved on to new clubs, roles and competitions across the sport.
