We have just announced our new Tom Amone Clone

23 years old, 6’1”, 16 stone 10lbs

Good speed, a steamroller ball in hand, a great angle step at the tackle line, strong meters in the tackle, a quality offload ability when tackled, and will run all day.

This guy will be a SL breakout star in 2025 and a Leopards Den fan favourite.

Great signing and will rip it up in red and white Leopard print.

Very Happy Vancouver Leyther

From the video clips, he's just like a younger Tom Amone. Excellent signing.

For me there has to be a note of caution despite the excitement surrounding his signing and I think a dose of realism.



It is hugely unfair on this player to be compared with Tom Amone because Tom Amone he is not.



Tom was a Leigh legend, a challenge cup winner and probably the best prop in super League. Alec in comparison is a young man, with potential, but very much at the start of his career journey. He has not played top flight rugby in Australia and to play in SL it will be a step up in playing standard. There is no indication that he will even be a starting prop for us, I would be surprised if at this stage in his development he was a starter.



To be fair to him I think we should manage expectation and not expect world beating performances on his first appearances.



As VL has already indicated in this thread Alec ticks a number of the right kind of boxes, his age, size, athleticism & dynamism - he looks like he even has a jink for heaven's sake! but he is a young man moving half way around the world to a new country, experiencing a new culture, he is joining new team mates at a new club and is away from family support. We should not underestimate the enormity of the move and impact it could have upon him.



I welcome his signing. He looks like he has real potential but the finished article he is not. He is and will be a work in progress. I look forward to seeing his development in a Leopards shirt and hope that by the time he leaves us in a few years he too will be another Leigh legend.

Wise words Jack. I mentions on another thread the ne d to give our new younger players 4-6 games to settle in but I honestly believe this guy will be a starting front rower by mid season at the latest. He is not Tom Amone but he is definitely from a similar mold and his story so far reminds me of a certain second row we wish we still had from last season.

VL, I remember all too clearly your comments and enthusiasm about the signing of Kai O'Donnell of whom you predicted great things even before any of us here in Leigh had ever seen him play. That was certainly a good call on your part.



You were right about Kai who very quickly became an absolutely fantastic player for us and who, I hope, will quickly become a breakout star of the NRL next season.



I remember Kai's first game for us which, if memory serves me correctly, was away at Widnes when he came on as a replacement. I was certainly impressed on first viewing but had no inkling that he would develop so quickly into such a fine player. What a player!



The club's recent overseas recruitment has been bang on and I certainly hope that we have just signed another unpolished gem who will, with time and patience, go on to great things with us.