ADRIAN Lam will hand a second chance to his players when Leigh host St Helens in their season defining game on Friday night.

The Leopards boss is unlikely to make wholesale changes after his team’s play-off chances suffered a 24-0 hammer blow against Hull KR last week.

Lam knows victory will guarantee a season extension but win or lose Leigh will have played in front of their own fans for the final time in 2024.

That means a series of emotional farewells for the likes of skipper John Asiata, prop Tom Amone, second row Kai O’Donnell and centre Zak Hardaker.

“If, as a player, you don’t play to your potential, sometimes you want an opportunity to prove that was a one off,” said Lam.

“That’s how I am feeling at the moment. There does not need to be too much panic or too many changes that is going to improve us as a team.

“It is about holding each other accountable, being honest what we didn’t like and then having the courage to take ownership of that and have the opportunity to bounce back and play again.”

Lam admits though Saints will be smarting from their eight-try, 46-4 defeat at LSV back in July; their heaviest ever against the Leopards.

“We know what is coming our way so we have got to step up,” he added. “We have got to be completely different from last week.

“We have a fair job to do but we are prepared. We want to respond from last week’s performance because the whole season is on the line.

“We have worked hard to give ourselves this opportunity and the second half of the season has been incredibly positive for us.

“There is a lot more pressure on it because it must win. But it has always been about us this second half of the season to make sure we take care of our own 80 minutes each week.”

Leigh can still make the six even if they lose providing Leeds only draw or go down at Hull KR on Friday and Catalans Dragons fail to beat bottom of the table Catalans Dragons on Saturday.

But even victory over Saints won’t be sufficient to book a home semi-final play-off with Warrington and either Salford or Paul Wellens’ side guaranteed that advantage.

Edwin Ipape should be restored to the starting line-up after missing last week’s whitewash by Hull KR due to a shoulder issue.

Lam says a late decision will be made on his fellow Papua New Guinean but suggested he wasn’t far away from facing the Robins.

Josh Charnley needs two tries to draw level with Jim Lomas in 29th place in the list of all-time scorers and one to draw level with Danny McGuire in second place in the list of Super League’s all-time leaders.

Charnley is now nine tries behind leader Ryan Hall who took his career tally to 254 against the Leopards last Friday.