Why son of footy great is set to be flooded with contract offers as halfback eyes off a return to the NRL

Talented playmaker Lachlan Lam has already received interest from several NRL clubs after revealing his intentions of returning to Australia to play football.

The 26-year-old son of Queensland legend Adrian Lam has been plying is trade at Leigh Leopards in the UK for the last several years under his dad, who is head coach.

The PNG international who has spent time early in his career at the Roosters has knocked back offers over the years to play in Australia, but is now ready to return.

Talented halfbacks are a hot commodity in the NRL right now and Lam's manager Sam Ayoub has already had contact from several clubs about the matter.

The Roosters might be an option, with Luke Keary ready to retire, but clubs like the Titans and the Bulldogs might also be interested.

Lam has had great success with the Leigh Leopards, and was last year voted the 2023 Player of the Year by the Rugby League Writers and Broadcasters Association.

It's not the first time the talented No. 7 has been coached by his dad, with Lam playing under Adrien from the age of six at the famous Sydney junior club, Clovelly Crocodiles.

‘When I got back to Australia, I was coached by him the whole time, all the way up until I was 17,’ Lam told the Daily Mail in 2023.

‘Even when I went into the Roosters junior system, he had a lot to do with me still – coming to watch and talking to me about my game.

‘So coming over here, it’s good to spark that back up again. I know how he coaches and I love the way he coaches and how he looks after me. It’s not foreign to me at all.’

And nor is the stick he received from team-mates for being the coach’s son, which is why he never called him ‘Dad’ in the dressing room.

‘It comes off a little bit weird to the boys hearing that and you don’t want to give them any ammo, mate, because they are ruthless,’ said Lam.

‘I do my best to just catch his eye so I don’t have to call him anything, otherwise they make funny jokes.

‘I get an unbelievable amount of stick. When we do drills in training and a call goes my team’s way, I get all sorts of s***. These boys are ruthless with it, but it’s funny, I enjoy it.’

Lam has also managed to avoid ever falling out with his dad, who he has the ultimate respect for as a coach.

‘Anything that he really needs to tell me that is tough, he will tell me in private,’ explains the Sydney-born star

‘He is a very smart and technical coach, but his best asset is getting the boys to play for each other. He understands how important friendship is and he is massive on us doing stuff together and team bonding.’

As for father and son bonding, that is also done outside of the footy environment.

‘Most of our time together is spent on the golf course,’ says Lam. ‘And I am definitely better than him – if he has told you anything else, it’s a lie!

‘We don’t talk about rugby on the course. I only play golf to get away from rugby. It’s important to separate the two and just enjoy it.’