Leigh Leopards Bolster Ranks with Powerhouse Prop Aaron Pene Ahead of Leeds Clash
Leigh Leopards coach Adrian Lam has confirmed that new signing Aaron Pene will be part of the squad as they prepare to face Leeds Rhinos on Friday. However, Lam remains undecided on whether the 28-year-old prop will make his debut this weekend.
Pene, who has 32 NRL appearances under his belt with the New Zealand Warriors and Melbourne Storm, arrived in England late last week after penning a two-and-a-half-year contract with the Leopards. The powerful Samoan-German forward had his first training session with the squad on Tuesday morning.
“We’ll name him in the squad,” Lam told Love Rugby League. “But I’m just going to monitor him this week and see how he goes. If he’s not quite up to it, then it might not be until we play Wigan.”
Lam is excited about the prospect of Pene bolstering the Leopards’ bench, an area the coach feels has lacked game-breaking impact in the past.
“He’s a big body, he’s explosive, and he can be aggressive defensively,” Lam said. “He’ll probably come off the bench to start with, and if he can find his feet there, then I think the fans will love him.”
The Leopards currently sit atop the Super League table, while the Leeds Rhinos occupy the bottom spot. Pene’s potential debut will be a key storyline as the high-flying Leopards look to maintain their impressive form against the struggling Rhinos.
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