“WE are not finished yet,” is Adrian Lam’s defiant message as Leigh look to return to winning ways against top six hopefuls, Huddersfield Giants at LSV on Friday night.

And fourth placed Leopards will use the playing group’s latest landmark appearance as extra motivation to avoid a third successive defeat for a first time this season.

Lam is set to keep faith with the bulk of his Challenge Cup winning squad for Giants’ visit including a 350th career game for centre Zak Hardaker.

Leigh’s head coach slammed last Friday’s 52-10 defeat at Hull KR as “embarrassing” and now says: “Let’s hope it is out of our system.

“I thought it was over the week before,” he admitted. “But there has been a delayed emotional down.

“However, I will give players an opportunity to respond, play well and secure their positions for the rest of the season.

“It was uncharacteristic of who we have been this year and I am sure you will see a different team.

“It is about getting the attitude right with less talk and more action. There is no more time for excuses.

“If we want to keep our position on the ladder and get to Super League semi-finals, we need to respond.

“We don’t want to rest on our laurels and be grateful and happy. We feel we can still do something if we can respond from last week’s performance.”

The silver linings from last week’s nine-try mauling on Humberside were Tom Briscoe’s 400th career appearance and Josh Charnley’s 23rd Super League try to equal John Woods’ club record for most tries in a top flight season set in the 1983/84 campaign.

Now, it’s Hardaker’s turn in the spotlight. “Zak is the ultimate competitor,” said Lam.

“The way he has handled himself this year with this group has been unbelievable. He is in the leadership group and he has led the way with all actions.

“He has definitely improved as a speaker in the group and his leadership has come out at certain times; no more so than with Tom (Briscoe) in the Challenge Cup final week.”

Frankie Halton is potentially one major addition to a squad to face ninth-placed Giants, four points outside the top six with four matches remaining before the play-offs.

Leigh lad Halton tore his pectoral muscle on his debut during victory over Warrington in May.

“It is a massive game because of where we sit on the ladder and where they sit,” added Lam.

“Huddersfield have great individuals across the park and can dismantle any team if they are on it.”