Forward O'Donnell returns to Leigh after NRL spell

Kai O'Donnell will return to Leigh Leopards for the 2027 Super League season after a spell in the NRL.

O'Donnell, 27, spent the last two seasons playing for North Queensland Cowboys in the Australian competition.

But he comes back to the club where he spent three years prior to that. The forward was part of the team that won the Championship in 2022 and ended a 52-year wait to win the Challenge Cup at Wembley the following year.

The Australian second-row forward scored 31 tries in his 77 games for the Leopards and wants to add more silverware in his second spell.

"I always kept an eye out for Leigh while I was in Australia, and it's been amazing to see them grow and grow," he told the club's website.

"Last time I joined Leigh, they were a Championship club. This time, they're Super League play-off regulars, and hopefully we can turn that into silverware at the end of the season."