Lam became coach of Papua New Guinea Kumuls national rugby league team in 2007, and was in charge for their 2008 Rugby League World Cup campaign. He quit as Kumuls' coach in 2009 after a dispute with the Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League.
In June 2007 he was appointed inaugural coach of the new QRL Wizard Queensland Cup Northern Pride team based in Cairns. However, three months later he was offered the position of assistant coach at the NRL Sydney Roosters under their new coach Brad Fittler. Lam was released and he left Cairns for Sydney before the Pride's first game.