Leigh Leopards star Lachlan Lam has spoken of his pride in being selected to captain Papua New Guinea for the first time in next Sunday’s Pacific Bowl international against Cook Islands at the Santos National Football Stadium, Port Moresby.
Lachlan follows in the footsteps of his father Adrian, the Leopards head coach, in leading his country. Adrian captained PNG in both the 1995 and 2000 World Cup competitions and coached his country in the 2008 World Cup.
PNG opened their Pacific Bowl campaign with a 22-10 win over Fiji in Suva on 19 October.
Leopards’ Media & Press Manager Terry Rytz caught up with Lachlan at the team’s hotel in Port Moresby.
TR: Lachlan, congratulations, you’ve been named as PNG captain for the Cook Islands game, how does that feel?
LL: It feels unreal. It’s such a special honour to captain this team and country. Something I’ll be proud of forever.
TR: When did you find out and how?
LL: I found out the other day before our first field session. JD (PNG head coach Jason Demetriou) came up and asked me in private and I was over the moon.
TR: You’ll be following in the footsteps of another Lam to pull on the PNG shirt, that must be a really proud feeling?
LL: It is. It’s something that you don’t see very often, a father and son both captaining a country. I’m extremely proud.
TR: What has Adrian had to say about you being given the captaincy?
LL: He was emotional. As he always is. He just said he’s very proud and he’ll be at the game watching.
TR: Does he contact you often around your international appearances with advice or reviews? Or is he more hands off when you’re on international duty?
LL: He does contact me often on these games. Just reminding me of the opportunity I have each time I pull the jersey on.
TR: You captained us here at Leigh a lot of times last season, what lessons will you take from those experiences when leading PNG?
LL: I’ll take a lot! I’ve been lucky enough to have been surrounded by great leaders in every team I’ve played in. I think leading Leigh in stages this year helped me grow as a player and I’m looking forward to leading on the weekend.
TR: How has the time away with the PNG squad been?
LL: The time away has been unreal. We’ve worked hard and we’ve had a lot of fun so far!
TR: A strong win over Fiji, how is the mood in the camp going into the Cook Islands game?
LL: The mood is great. We understand although winning against Fiji puts us in a good position we still need to focus and play the way we can against the Cooks because they’re a quality outfit.
TR: There’s been a lot of changes at Leigh while you’ve been away, what are your thoughts on the incoming lads?
LL: I know a few of the boys coming in. They’re good footy players but more importantly great people. I’m sure they’ll adapt to the culture and fit in perfectly.
TR: What are you looking forward to next season?
LL: I’m excited to see how we evolve as a team. We have changes in key positions but have quality coming in to help us move forward. I’m sure it’ll look a little different but I’m excited for the challenge ahead.
Lachlan Lam was sponsored by Atico Hair Emporium, Leigh for the 2024 season.
