The Sydney Roosters have granted playmaker Lachlan Lam an immediate release to join the Leigh Centurions in England's second-tier Championship competition.
Lam had been stuck behind Sam Walker, Luke Keary, Drew Hutchison, and Joey Manu in the playmaking stakes at the Roosters and managed only 31 first grade games across four years, 20 of which came in the side's injury-plagued 2021 season.
He did not feature for the Roosters' first-grade side this year but was one of the best players afield in Papua New Guinea's Test victory over Fiji last month.
Lam will reunite with his father, former State of Origin player Adrian, who is currently the Centurions' head coach.
"Lachlan is a proud local junior and we release him of the view that this is a unique opportunity for him to not only play in England but to join a team coached by his father Adrian," said Roosters head of recruitment Daniel Anderson.
"We thank Lachie for his contribution to the Sydney Roosters over the years and wish him all the very best in the future."
Lam joins ex-NRL players such as Blake Ferguson, Nene Macdonald, Krisnan Inu and Caleb Aekins at the Centurions.