A dominant 28-12 victory over rival play-off contenders Warrington Wolves pushed Leigh to their fifth straight win, a serious statement in the Betfred Super League standings. This massive win moved Leigh up one place to fifth, leaping over last year’s champions Hull KR, and now puts them dead even on points with the Wolves, who are reeling after suffering their third defeat in just four matches this month.
Leopards Seize Control Early and Don’t Let Go
Leigh came out of the gates like a runaway train, not wasting any time setting the tone. Early tries from David Armstrong and Lachlan Lam gave the Leopards total control, and they never really gave it back. After losing to Warrington in successive weeks back in April, Leigh has been on an absolute tear, winning 10 out of their last 12 games, including a huge victory over the Wire at Magic Weekend just three weeks ago. Lam’s pass found Armstrong hitting the line perfectly from full-back, selling a dummy and blasting through a gap for the tryline. Then the scrum-half, Lam himself, was on the receiving end of some brilliant play, supporting Umyla Hanley after Hanley shredded the defense to run right under the posts.
Warrington briefly got on the scoreboard when Toafofoa Sipley showed pure might, as three defenders simply could not hold back the Niue prop at close range. But Leigh slammed the door shut again right before half-time, with Innes Senior finishing beautifully in the left corner after more quality work in the line from the half-backs. This made it a two-score game again, and you could feel the momentum swinging hard Leigh’s way.
Fired Up Second Half Seals the Deal
The second period was an absolute battle, with neither side giving an inch. Emotions were running high, and we saw both sides lose a player to the sin-bin in the early stages. Super League’s record try scorer, Josh Charnley, got pinged for head contact on Toby King for Leigh, and Warrington’s scrum-half Leon Hayes joined him for a dangerous tackle on Owen Trout. With the intensity through the roof, Joe Ofahengaue muscled his way over with sheer brute force for another crucial try.
Moments later, the contest was absolutely settled. Umyla Hanley scored a try that his legendary father Ellery would have been incredibly proud of, showcasing a combo of strength, insane footwork, and slick handling skills to weave past a whole clutch of defenders in a tight space. It was a highlight reel play that basically screamed, “Game over!” Warrington’s late consolation try from Albert Hopoate came way too late to make any real difference in this one.
Leigh’s defense was relishing the fight all game, making this a perfect tune-up for their huge visit from neighbors Wigan Warriors this Friday at 8:00 PM. Meanwhile, Warrington has some serious regrouping to do, and fast, before they head to Castleford Tigers the following day. They need to regain some momentum in this race for the top six, because Leigh is not going away.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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