Lachlan Lam Rules Himself Out of PNG's World Cup in Shock Surgery Call

Papua New Guinea have been dealt a hammer blow ahead of the Rugby League World Cup, with star halfback Lachlan Lam ruling himself out to finally undergo wrist surgery he has needed for several months.

Lam was the notable absentee when the Kumuls' squad was named this week. The Leigh Leopards playmaker has been battling wrist ligament damage through the second half of the season, playing on with temporary medical intervention to aid his club's cause. He could have delayed the operation once more to play in the World Cup, but doing so would have cost him the start of the new Super League season, potentially sidelining him until round five or six.

Leigh owner Derek Beaumont revealed the club had even offered to fund the operation in Australia immediately after the tournament, but Lam chose to go under the knife now to be fit for what Leigh hope will be a significant year — including the much-hyped Vegas fixture.

"It wasn't definitive, and I told him to consider everything over a period of time with his family, and we would support whatever decision he made," Beaumont said. Lam's call is a huge loss for PNG, who open their campaign against Lebanon on October 17 before facing Samoa and England. With 15 caps and seven tries, he is one of the Kumuls' genuine stars — and his absence, alongside the already-injured Alex Johnston, leaves the hosts' spine badly weakened on home soil.