It seems like every round is spoken about as Warrington
Wolves taking a drink in the last chance saloon as they look to move towards a
to six spot and a place in the play-offs but Leigh Leopards are the form team
and seeking the win which would take them within a single point of the Wigan
Warriors in second place.
Leigh were only handicapped by six points on the coupon with
the bookies thinking that it could be a close run affair and the two games that
the sides have played so far in 2025 would bear that our as Warrington won the
Challenge Cup semi-final in May while the Leopards picked up the points when
the sides met in the league in mid-April.
It was a great early showing from Warrington, winning an
early captain’s challenge after the referee penalised them for a knock-on and
then pressurising the Leigh line. After twenty minutes of stalemate the
deadlock was broken by a Marc Sneyd penalty from right in front of the sticks.
When Warrington were penalised for an off the ball tackle on
twenty-seven, Gareth O’Brien accepted the kicking tee and got the scoreboard
ticking for the home side. The teams tied up at 2-2.
A sensational try from Warrington started with a Ryan Matterson
offload and then Josh Thewlis ripping through the Leigh defence before releasing
Matt Dufty to score. Sneyd added the conversion for 8-2, Warrington worthy of
the lead at the break.
First points of the second half went the way of the Primrose
and Blue after Leigh were caught offside thirty-five from their own line, Sneyd
kicking the penalty goal for 10-2.
Within a couple of minutes there was a second Warrington
try, Jake Thewlis the man to collect a George Williams grubber to the corner
and dive in without a Leigh hand on him. Sneyd was wide with the conversion attempt,
but the Wolves had a two-score lead.
With fifteen minutes remaining the Wolves had a try ruled
out for an obstruction in the build-up.
Leigh took full advantage of the ‘NO TRY’ as they broke
downfield, Umyla Hanley diving to ground an O’Brien grubber which was deflected
into goal by a Warrington hand. O’Brien added
the conversion to reduce the arrears to six points. It was game on with twelve
minutes remaining.
A high tackle on O’Brien just over the halfway line gave
Sneyd another chance at the penalty goal, George Williams making the decision
for Sneyd to kick a forty-six-metre attempt. It was no issue for the Wolves man
who found the target and again the lead was out to eight points.
Six minutes from time Hanley got his second of the evening
after taking a long pass and going through a gap to ground, O’Brien adding the
extras to mean that there were just two points separating the sides.
Three minutes from time a battering ram run from Owen Trout
saw the Leigh man in for the winning try. O’Brien added the extras with ninety
seconds of the game remaining.
A sensational comeback win from Leigh see’s them keep up the
pressure on the Wigan Warriors in second spot but the shattering nature of the
defeat will undoubtedly hit the Warrington Wolves hard as it makes their
chances of the six increasingly distant. Leigh’s credentials go from strength
to strength under Adrian Lam, they appear to be peaking at the right end of the
season.
Leigh Leopards: Hodgson, Brand, Niu, Hanley (2T), Charnley,
O’Brien (G 4/4), Lan, Trout (T), Ipape, Ofahengaue, Halton, Hughes, Liu. Subs: McNamara,
Tuitavake, David, Badrock. 18th Man: Towse.
Warrington Wolves: Dufty (T), Thewlis Josh, Wrench, King,
Thewlis Jake (T), Williams, Sneyd (G 4/5), Yates, Powell, Vaughan, Stone,
Fitzgibbon, Currie. Subs: Philbin, Matterson, Wood, Walker. 18th
Man: Thomas.
Half-Time: 2-8.
Full-Time: 20-16.
Score Progression: 0-2, 2-2, 2-6, 2-8 : HT: 2-10, 2-14, 6-14,
8-14, 8-16, 12-16, 14-16, 18-16, 20-16 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: Warrington – Square – Warrington - Leigh.
Referee: Liam Moore.
