The Leigh Leopards have confirmed former North Queensland Cowboys forward Kai O'Donnell will return to the club in 2027 to play for the English Super League side.
O'Donnell made 77 appearances in his first stint at the Leopards, quickly establishing himself as one of the fan-favourites with strong try scoring form, scoring 31 tries during his spell from 2022 to 2024.
Prior to his successful Leopards stint, he spent a brief period in the Australian nation's capital with the Canberra Raiders, playing four games in 2020.
O'Donnell returned to Australia for 2025 with the Cowboys to press for a starting spot in Todd Payten's pack, but failed to lock down consistent minutes in the two years in Townsville.
The 27-year-old played 25 matches during his time at the Cowboys, 18 in 2025 and only seven this year.
Reports throughout the 2026 season suggested O'Donnell was linked back to his former club, with coach Adrian Lam making is known he is keen to have him return to the Leopards.
O'Donnell then appeared on the departure list of Cowboys players for 2026, with everything pointing towards a return to England.
The recently promoted Leopards have played three times in the play-offs since their promotion at the end of 2022, with the club building nicely as O'Donnell rejoins the side.
The deal now coming into fruition, O'Donnell says he can't wait to return to the club and get stuck into some work for the 2027 season.
“It's such a great moment for me to be coming back to Leigh Leopards. I made no secret of the fact that it was a really difficult decision to leave. I love the club, the fans and the town," O'Donnell said in a Leopards statement.
“When the opportunity came to rejoin, I jumped at the chance and I can't wait to get back home.
“Lammy is a coach I have the utmost respect and admiration for. He's really developed me as a player, and I think my time in the past under him has brought out my best football. I'm looking forward to coming back, reaching another level under him and helping the team do the same.
“I always kept an eye out for Leigh while I was in Australia, and it's been amazing to see them grow and grow. 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.
“I want you all to know that I saw almost all of the messages on social media about the opportunity of me coming back, and it was very humbling to see. I love this town; my daughter was born here.
“I'm coming back determined to give you all something back for your support.”
Lam was thrilled to get the deal done to have O'Donnell return to the club where he played his best footy.
“I've got goosebumps. I know that, in his time here, he certainly touched the whole town, all of our fans and all of the squad," Lam said.
“For me personally, he brought a lot of professionalism to the group. I'm very, very excited. He's the type of player that can single-handedly lift the club and the team.
“I was broken-hearted when he left. We're always broken-hearted when a player leaves the team, but Kai was just a different level because of his professionalism around the place.
“He's one of those players who trains when he's injured, plays when he's injured and doesn't want to miss a training session. That's now a standard we've set here as a club.
“As a player, he's just the ultimate professional. He runs lines, scores tries, and everything he gives is at 100%. He's a hungry player who competes at every level.
“His presence back in that Leopards jersey for 2027 certainly excites everyone around the town.”
The Leopards finished fifth in 2026, with 17 wins and 10 losses in their campaign.
Eventual Super League champions Wakefield Trinity defeated Lam's outfit in the first week of play-offs to progress.
Former NSW Blues State of Origin forward Tevita Pangai Jr. will join O'Donnell at the club in 2027 to strengthen Leigh's forward pack.
